Where Fate Turns
by SplashTOMATO
Summary: Yaoi Taito, Takouji. The world of Midgard is turning into chaos. Within this realm, two Archers and two Thieves face the challenges of the fate ahead of them... Digimon and Ragnarok Online crossover. 16th chapter up!
1. When we first met

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Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 1: When we first met  
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TITLE: Where Fate Turns  
AUTHOR: Splash  
EMAIL: guyminal@hotmail.com  
ARCHIVE: Yes (email)  
DISCLAIMER: Digimon and Ragnarok Online are not mine. Digimon belongs to Toei and Ragnarok belongs to Myung-Jin Lee.  
WARNINGS: Yaoi, random gore, characters from any Digimon season   
A/N: Crossover between Ragnarok Online and Digimon...! Two of my favorites in one! Squee! Anyhow, the main couples in this fic are Taito and Takouji. The style is simple and concise, just because I get lazy and I want to get the story moving at times. XD For the first chapters, it'll switch from both Taito and Takouji to get the plot moving... then I plan to seperate them by chapters. ^^  
  
Dedicated to MegaBlorf, the Hunter who first showed me what it takes to be an Archer.  
  
Those not familiar with Ragnarok Online can go to the official site to learn more: ragnarokonline.com  
  
Here are some raw basics of the classes in RO I wrote, and the usual stats they excel in (there are exceptions for all classes, but they're too complicated to explain here):  
Novice: Starting class  
  
1st class-  
Archer - Dexterous and Agile. Uses Bow and Arrows as weapons.  
Thief - Agile and Powerful. Uses Daggers, One-handed Swords or Bow/Arrows as weapons.  
Acolyte - High Intelligence magic and special abilities against Undead monsters. Uses Maces as weapons, or Rods for more Int.  
Swordsman - High stamina and overal powerful. Best with One and Two-handed swords, but can also use Maces, Daggers, Axes and Spears.  
Merchant - Can carry lots of weight and is good with money. Uses most of the same weapons as Swordsman except for Two-handed swords and Spears.  
Mage - High Intelligence and Desterous for powerful magic attacks.  
  
2nd class-  
Knight - Advanced Swordsman class. Has the ability to become more skilled with the Spear or Two-handed Sword. Rides PecoPeco for faster transportation.  
Hunter - Advanced Archer class. Manipulates large assortment of traps. Has Falcon aid.  
Wizard - Advanced Mage class. Even more powerful magic attacks and more versatile.  
Blacksmith - Advanced Merchant class. Has the ability to forge Daggers, Swords, Knuckles and Maces. Has many support skills to boost the attack of party.  
Assassin - Advanced Thief class. Can equip two One-handed weapons in addition to Katars. Uses various poisoning techniques.  
Priest - Advanced Acolyte class. Uses a large variety of support skills as well as one deadly Undead/Demon monster-killer.  
(2-2 classes, recently released in RO):  
Crusader - Advanced Swordsman class. Holy defenders with various Holy attacks and defense skills. Rides a different kind of PecoPeco.  
Bard/Dancer - Advanced Archer class. Uses various support skills to enhance parties.  
Sage - Advanced Mage class. Can attack while casting and uses magics with various effects.  
Alchemist - Advanced Merchant class. Makes various potions, and can create/summon a Homunculus and other monsters.  
Rogue - Advanced Thief class. Enhanced item stealing and mischevious skills such as stealing other skills or Back Stab.  
Monk - Advanced Acolyte class. Manipulates Spirits and uses several massive damage dealers with large expenses.  
  
****  
  
~The course of fate... it does not take into account the factor of living nature~  
  
****  
  
In a world where large goats with death scythes killed hundreds of people daily and living joker cards could be seen, Taichi felt confused on what he was ready for. He was surrounded by orange topped mushrooms covered in spikes, and they looked quite intimidating. Maybe it was the fact that they were just as large as he was.  
  
" They aren't coming after me at least," he mused out loud, preparing his prize cutter for any oncoming attack. He had gotten rid of his weaker knife after he had collected enough material from the metal-like Chonchon flies that swarmed vegetated areas. He had seen the more impressive Main-Gauches and Stilettos other people were weilding, but didn't let it get him down. As fascinated as he was with material items, he was a poor boy himself.  
  
He also had a Composite bow, but in order to save money on buying arrows he only used it to perform his class skill Double Strafe, which tired him out quite a bit. Endurance would be something that would come with time, he knew that. Only recently had he gotten an impulse to collect items outside the usual Willow and Fabre. He had read the amazing values of material from things like snake scales and raccoon leaves, but he was certain he would have to become more skilled in order to obtain such valuables.  
  
He spotted a Willow out of the corner of his eye, lazying around as usual. He met face to face with it, or at least to the hallow blots in the Willow's wood. And then, he jabbed straight into it with his Cutter.  
  
His technique was quite poor, and he had trouble taking his weapon out of the wooden material. The Willow became irritated like any monster would, and beat on him, clamping its limbs onto his body. Taichi got smacked hard once before he dug the cutter into it again, right on the sweet spot. The Willow broke apart, revealing its contents of its insides. Taichi was accustomed to gathering potion ingredients from these creatures and then selling them for propering zeny. In fact, he was rather proud of his extensive knowledge of many objects from his studies. There were many things he had not seen in person and he was motivated to obtain.  
  
One particularly being the rare Angelband, which was received from the Angelrings. They were beautiful white wings fitted on the head, and was said to give some sort of magical aid to the wearer. Angelrings themselves were certainly not a common sight. Taichi had once read that during their reign they tended to pop out and beat the living daylights out of anyone who saw them, and they were pretty good at it. And if people managed to kill it, the chances of its wings staying intact were close to nil, since they usually wither away during the killing. The same went for the halo on its head, which some collectors also sought.  
  
Yes, Taichi enjoyed collecting things. He remembered his first material possession ever, an adorable Poring doll that still hung on his shelves back home. The pink water drop-like object imitated the actual creature, which most people liked to play with. They were strange things that liked to steal anything that was scattered around, and one would have to pop them open to retrieve their lost object.  
  
Taichi was horrified to hear about dismantling Porings when his mother was teaching him in his early days, but she cleared up for him about the subject of "spawning;" in which God would immediately rebirth any monster in Midgard in a different location. It was a way to keep the balance in life, since most of the monsters barely interacted with one another. " We humans have a duty to maintain the balance, Taichi," she had lectured. " We have a truce with God and the monsters.  
  
Taichi could still remember those early days as a novice, when he was afraid of killing Porings and other small monsters such as Lunatics and Fabres. The first time he tried to take on a willow, his younger sister Hikari had to heal him in the middle of the fight. She was a special girl, given direct power from God from birth, she was content on making her living as an acolyte. Taichi now, as an archer, killing Willows was just another walk across a room.  
  
Today he ventured out farther than usual and found himself surrounded by the orange mushrooms. Perhaps if he Double Strafed one several times he could kill it. So that's what he did. Two arrows flung onto the monster, and to his amazement, it immediately fell over, creating a sound as if it was some kind of squeaky toy.  
  
That wasn't so bad.  
  
He went to observe the leftover contents of the monster, and while he was gathering some of its spores, he spotted something coming toward him in the corner of his eye. It was also mushroom shaped... ' Is it coming back for revenge?!?'  
  
He got one closer look at it before his impulses told him to bring out his Guard Shield. It had a purple top instead of orange, and its spikes were much more intimidating...  
  
CRASH went the impact from the mushroom ramming its head against the Guard over and over again. Taichi cried out, fearing for his life. The guard could break at any moment and he could receive the spikes next...  
  
He waited for another crushing impact, but it didn't come. Instead, he hear a familiar "WEEE" like the monster he killed earlier.  
  
Taichi got up from his huddling position, his Guard still ready, and found the area safe. But there ahead of him was something new...  
  
Blonde, startling... stunning.  
  
" You're lucky you had a Guard there. I wouldn't recommend you stay out here. There's some area that have normal spores and not the poison ones like that one I pummeled. It takes someone quite skilled for them."  
  
And that just ruined it. Taichi gawked at the person's greeting, then decided to return it. " How dare you insult me like that?!? I'm not trying to prove myself more skilled than I am."  
  
" I never said you were," the other replied matter-of-factly, " I'm just trying to help."  
  
" Well, I don't need it."  
  
" That's not what it looked like before."  
  
Taichi frowned, but said no more. The blonde boy ushered Taichi out of the area in silence, and Taichi couldn't help but notice his eyes on him. " What is it?" he asked eventually.  
  
" You haven't been outside Payon much, you like staying local."  
  
Taichi blinked in surprise, curious as to how the blonde could be so observant. " Actually, I've never been anywhere outside the Payon area."  
  
The blonde's eyes grew wide, " No wonder you fight like a newbie."  
  
" NEWBIE? ME?" Taichi yelled, feeling fury building inside him.  
  
" Sorry, but you are. I pity your kind that lives such sheltered lives."  
  
Taichi was about to make a rude remark, but the blonde gave him a seriously concerned look. " Especially during these times. The poison spores aren't usually aggressive. Several other monsters have become aggressive as well these past several days, and I'm out to investigate. Something big is about to happen. Midgard is no longer going to be peaceful."  
  
Taichi was simply confused. He had heard stories of this prophethized day when the world would turn to chaos, but he didn't know what to make of it. He gathered his arrows, stuffing them into his carrying case.  
  
" You're an archer?" the blonde asked, " We're a struggling class."  
  
Only then did Taichi notice the bow in the blonde's hand, a much more fancier one than the one given to him when he became an archer. " You have an Arbalest, but it looks slightly different..."  
  
" It's a dexterous Arbalest, I had it powered up slightly. Other fighters will be powering up their equipment as well in preparation..." He paused, contemplating. " Come. I'll escort you back to Payon."  
  
" I can find my way back on my own," Taichi said defiantly, his pride still hurt.  
  
But then, there was a wave of wailing in the distance.  
  
" Payon village is under attack," the blonde observed calmly.  
  
" WHAT? My family will be in danger!" Taichi immediately set off, sprinting through the forest and past the town gates.  
  
He ran to the village and it seemed peaceful for a moment, like he had imagined the danger. There were few people in the town, but they were minding their own business. In the village, no one was outside... But then, there was a howl, and he followed it... to his house.  
  
He flung open the door and was unpleasantly greeted by the snarling of a beast. In the corner of the entrance room his sister Hikari was trapped, her mind concentrated on keeping a barrier up for protection. The beast was keeping an eye on her, waiting for her to exhaust her power.  
  
Without thinking, Taichi loaded an arrow and shot it at the beast. It barely went through its fur. Its fangs now baring, Taichi wished he had taken more time to think.  
  
" Get down!"  
  
Taichi did as he was told, and suddenly arrows shot over his head and pierced into the beast's skin. He glanced back and saw the blonde boy again, shooting the life out of himself.  
  
The beast was stunned, confused on what was hurting him. " It's the Vagabond wolf!" Yamato said. " Here, take these and shoot it. " Somehow, in the midst of his constant reloading, a bundle of blazing arrows made its way in Taichi's direction. He caught them and looked at them shortly. They had bright orange tails...  
  
The wolf was after the blonde at this point, so he backed up and kept shooting at it. It was fierce, the beast, and shook off the arrows with ease, but it was enough to hold it back. The blonde had brought it outside for a reason... " Hurry up and shoot it, kid!"  
  
Taichi loaded one of the arrows and shot it with all his might. It seemed to catch fire instantly, and burned right into the wolf. It howled in pain, the sizzling of the heat causing it to wince. Taichi loaded another and shot again.  
  
Hikari had gotten up and was catching her breath outside the house, and saw her older brother taking on the monster. It was focused on the other archer, however, who occasionally irritated it with an arrow to keep it coming to him rather than Taichi. In fact, the wolf hadn't even seen Taichi yet.  
  
" How many goddamn arrows can this thing take?!?" Taichi moaned.  
  
" Stop complaining and keep shooting," the other said, on the run from the wolf. " I'm the one doing the tanking."  
  
Hikari conjured up her beginning acolyte powers and endowed an agility boost for the blonde, then sat down to rest her strength.  
  
The boost helped, but it made no guarantees. Taichi could only aim in close range to make sure he didn't hurt the blonde, and the arrows simply wouldn't stay on the wolf. They faded away magically, like porings did after they exploded.  
  
Everything was keen and peachy until the blonde tripped and the Vagabond approached him. Taichi's heart skipped a beat, yelled out in worry, then as fast as he had ever done performed a double strafe with the burning arrows. One arrow hit the beast's cheek, the other went straight into its eye. An ugly white substance gushed out, streaming down its bloodied face, and the wolf was in so much pain it fell to the floor and surrendered its life.  
  
The blonde archer got up, pulled up one of the arrows that had fallen off the wolf to use again later, and went up to the beast. " Vagabond Wolf," he said in his usual low tone voice, " Why have you disturbed this peaceful village? What has angered you so to appear and attack these innocent people?"  
  
The wolf lay still, the arrow still protruding out of his eye disgustingly.  
  
" Vagabond Wolf, answer me," he said firmly.  
  
Taichi, still panting from shooting so much, sat down next to the wolf. Even though he had nearly lost his life from it, he couldn't help but awe at its beauty.  
  
" Can it speak?" the brunette asked.  
  
In response, the Vagabond growled, a deep gurgle in the back of its throat. The arrow in its cheek was giving it trouble to speak, but it suffered long enough for a single murmur. " Ymir..."  
  
The blonde's eyes turned into saucers. " What has happened to Ymir? Is he no longer able to maintain the peace in Midgard?"  
  
The wolf didn't answer. " Answer me, Vagabond Wolf."  
  
Taichi's hear tore, feeling part of the pain the wolf was in. He had caught an element of empathy from his sister Hikari, but it was she who could take more of it in before suffering from it. Sometimes the pain would be too much for her, however, and then Taichi would be the one in ease. But now this wolf had him inticed... He groaned softly as he saw blood dripping out of the wolf's jaw.  
  
" I understand," the blonde said solemnly, " I've made you suffer enough for your sins. Thank you for answering my first question, Vagabond Wolf..."  
  
He cuddled the wolf's muzzle in last-minute prayer, then pulled a dagger from his belt and stabbed it straight into the Vagabond Wolf's cranium, piercing the brain. He quickly took it back out and swung it outward, droplets of... contents flying off. He did it with such rapidness there wasn't a trace of life on the blade, and he put it back on his belt.  
  
They watched as the Vagabond Wolf faded away. " It'll spawn again for sure. And I doubt it will be willing to give away any more information, if it knows any. A knight was supposed to follow me, and he should be able to keep the wolf out of the village."  
  
Taichi sighed, no longer feeling sorrow, but still concerned. All of a sudden, he jumped up. " Mother! Hikari, is mother all right?"  
  
Hikari looked strained. " Mother... well, she..."  
  
Taichi didn't wait for an answer and rushed past her into the house. After a small amount of searching, he saw his mother, lying limp on the bedroom floor.  
  
****  
  
" The Vagabond did something to her... she doesn't have any physical injuries but she won't wake up," Hikari said after examinations.  
  
" She'll need a resurrection in order to regain consciousness," the blonde noted, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway. " Only a Priest or Priestess can perform them, and at an expensive cost."  
  
" Hey, that's the advanced acolyte class, isn't it?" Hikari said, " Then I'll work hard to become a Priestess."  
  
" It's not easy to advance to the next class, especially for acolytes. It'll take time and patience."  
  
" I can do it. My friend Takeru will help me."  
  
" Takeru...?" his mouth opened slightly, " Takeru the swordsman?"  
  
" Yes, do you know him?" Hikari said, her eyes giving a small sparkle, " He just became one and should be coming back from Izlude any day now."  
  
" He's my younger brother..."  
  
" Oh!" Hikari cried, " He never told me about you!"  
  
" I... I don't stay home often..." he looked away, more to see the cracks in the old-styled floor.  
  
Taichi, who had not done anything since the examination suddenly lifted his head. " We never introduced, fellow archer. I'm Taichi Yagami."  
  
" I'm Hikari Yagami!"  
  
The blonde shifted his eyes to the other boy. " Yamato Ishida," he said with some hesitation.  
  
Taichi and Hikari suddenly realized that Yamato's last name did not match with Takeru Takaishi, but they didn't want to press the issue. Hikari excused herself to do studying, immediately set on her new goal.  
  
Yamato, now with a trouble expression, stood up straight. " I have to speak with the archer guildmaster about this new situation. The Vagabond Wolf has not shown up in over 1,000 years until today, and you were not the first, so apparently it's here to stay for some reason."  
  
" I'd like to come, too," Taichi said.  
  
" This issue is for higher authority to handle. I doubt they'll like seeing starters getting into this mess."  
  
" Hey, I learn fast, I can help out..."  
  
" Do you have any idea how dangerous this is going to get?!?" Yamato spat, suddenly irritated.  
  
" You didn't make it sound like it was a big deal with your tone before..."  
  
" Well, sorry if I'm good at staying calm and controlled during harsh sitatuations." With that, he started out the door.  
  
" ...Snob."  
  
Yamato stopped mid-step. " What did you call me?"  
  
" A snob!" Taichi said out loud, pouting. " You have no remorse for insulting people and you act all high and mighty! I bet I can beat you in archery any day."  
  
" Don't jump to rash judgements just because I let you take down that Vagabond. I could have taken it down in half the time you did."  
  
" Hmph, you still faltered when Hikari helped you out."  
  
" What?!?" Yamato shouted, " I can't believe I'm still here and having this argument! I have urgent business to attend to."  
  
" And I'm coming along."  
  
" No you aren't."  
  
" YES I AM!"  
  
Yamato froze.  
  
" Hikari and I have been dragged into this by chance, by fate, by whatever. Our mother is technically dead and we have a right to know why, whether you like it or not. If it's all part of something complicated, then so be it. I'm willing to find out."  
  
Yamato looked at him without expression for quite some time, then sighed, giving up. He gave a half smile. " All right. Come along, follow me, newbie."  
  
" I'm NOT a newbie!"  
  
****  
  
" The Vagabond Wolf is back? That hasn't appeared since the ancient war ten centuries ago!" the guildmaster cried.  
  
" Yes, I know," Yamato said plainly, " I've studied the monsters in Midgard for years, and I have quite some experience fighting them. There are many much more difficult than the Vagabond..."  
  
" Our long peace has been shattered, history will repeat itself," the guildmaster mused, " I heard wailing in the old dungeon around here, but I think I should send some recruits there. I'll gather a party of archers."  
  
" Archers alone will not survive there, no matter how many in number. It's time we unite again with the other towns. Prontera, Morroc, Izlude, Geffen, AldeBaran, all of them. Wed need all the help we can get."  
  
The guildmaster nodded. " Do you have any other information?"  
  
Yamato avoided eye contact at that point, then looked down with a concentrated stare. " The Vagabond mentioned Ymir, but would not say anything else."  
  
The guildmaster gained a face of enlightment. " The acolytes in Prontera have been sensing a disappearance in their lifeforce. Perhaps this is connected with it. Thank you for informing me."  
  
Taichi stood up from his timid spot. " Sir? I'd like to help."  
  
Yamato narrowed his eyes. " Sir, Taichi is only a beginning archer. I doubt he will survive in Payon Dungeon."  
  
The guildmaster took one good gaze on the brunette. He had heard about his involvement from the Vagabond story earlier, and so... " Are you a fast one-on-one learner, kid? You look like it."  
  
" Yes." It was modest, too...  
  
" Yamato, I'd like you to teach this kid the works of Midgard."  
  
" What?!? I've never taught anyone before, I became strong all on my own, I don't see how he can't either. I work solo!"  
  
" I'm sure it's okay to take on an apprentice. And it hurts to see someone traveling alone all the time. Don't you ever feel lonely?"  
  
Yamato's face went down a shade. " Mmm... Taichi, are you okay with it?"  
  
" Sure!" Taichi replied, perhaps in a too cheery mood.  
  
Yamato rested his hand on his chin and sighed for the sixteenth time that day. " All right. Prepare yourself, kid. You may never come home for loooooong time."  
  
****  
  
" Give me back my loot, you stupid Poring."  
  
While Taichi picked up his stolen contents Yamato came over. " You'll need to start using your bow once we get deeper in the forest."  
  
" I'm trying to save arrows," Taichi reasoned, " Where are we going anyhow?"  
  
" Alberta. We'll take a ship to Izlude from there. It saves us a lot of walking. What do you specialize in kid? Apparently it's not the bow."  
  
Taichi fumed. " Sorrrrry... I specialize in items all around the world."  
  
Yamato didn't pay attention to his attitude, but brought out a strange blue orb from his pocket. " Do you know what this is?"  
  
Taichi glanced at it and Oooed at the glowing sparks inside. " That's a Crystal Blue. Gather ten of those and you can refine it to Mystic Frozen, which can be compounded onto a weapon to make it a water elemental weapon."  
  
The blonde blinked, then put the object back in his pocket. " You prove yourself correct. I got that in the Undersea Tunnel in Bibilan Island. I'll take you there sometime for training," he looked ahead of their path, then took an arrow out of his pack. " Stay close to me, we're going through poison spore territory."  
  
They walked peacefully for several minutes, passing by the red spores with ease. Taichi thought they were out of the area once they spotted some other monsters (One looked particularly scary, like some large egg with eyes and cracked shell teeth), but as he went slightly ahead of Yamato...  
  
" AAH!" He saw a large spike through his pants from the purple head next to him... Poison Spore!  
  
It was about to hit him again...  
  
" Taichi!"  
  
Yamato made no hesitation to grab two arrows and blast them into the poison spore as a Double Strafe. The Poison Spore fell back and faded away, leaving Taichi agonizing on the ground.  
  
" Taichi.." the blonde rush up to him, and brought out a cloth to cover the wound on Taichi's leg. No blood. ' No... this can't be happening already...'  
  
As he was tying a knot to secure the bandage, Yamato certainly did not expect a response from the weakening Taichi... let alone a cuddly one. Yamato was kneeling over when he felt a grasp on his back... Taichi was hugging him.  
  
At first impulse he was frightened. What the heck was Taichi thinking? But then he figured Taichi was just a little disillusional. No, the blonde shouldn't have felt security from that...  
  
" We're almost to Alberta and there's still Poison Spores around, so I'll carry you there, " he said. He somehow turned around in Taichi's hold and brought the beginning archer onto his back, and continued his way.  
  
As he neared Alberta, he was stopped by a female gasp.  
  
" What happened to that poor archer?" she asked, her broad sword clanging at her side.  
  
" Is there an acolyte around? This person was attacked by a Poison Spore."  
  
She gasped again, but didn't pause further and ran into the city to get some help. Yamato followed her slowly, tiring from Taichi's weight. The brunette had fallen limp not long ago and became about twice as heavier.  
  
The swordswoman returned witha pink haired acolyte. " Mimi can help you out."  
  
Yamato set Taichi down right in the middle of the street, and passerbys watched as Mimi put her hands together. A glow of white light erupted from her hands, and she pressed them onto Taichi's wound.  
  
" He'll be fine, the wound is quite superficial," Mimi said as she stood up, " But he'll be out for the rest of the day."  
  
The swordswoman had been looking at Yamato the whole time, and finally spoke. " Have I seen you before?"  
  
Yamato didn't brighten. " How would I know? I don't have your memory."  
  
Dismayed, she decided to use a different approach. " My name is Sora Takenouchi. And you are...?"  
  
The blonde hesitated. He wasn't keen on introductions, although why he hadn't paused long for Taichi was an enigma to him. "... Yamato Ishida. I'm on the official search crew for Ymir." ' At least I am now...'  
  
" Search? Has Ymir gone missing?" Mimi said worriedly.  
  
" That adds to the strange occurences," Sora added. " A strange abandoned pirate ship was discovered off the coast a while ago, but no one has lived to tell us more about it. I just hear lots of rumors about treasure buried there."  
  
" There is business I have to attend to in Prontera," Yamato said, suddenly returning to a formal tone.  
  
" Oh! Something big must be happening," Mimi piped, still in a cheery mood. " Will you wait for Taichi to rouse before departing?"  
  
" He'll be fine on the ship. Thank you for the assistance, Mimi, Sora."  
  
He picked up Taichi on his back and left the two females to continue blabbing about the news. Mimi could be heard from the distance... " Perhaps I will create a warp for us to go there... but I'll need a Blue Gemstone..."  
  
He wasn't so sure about giving them the news, but he was more concerned with Taichi at the time.  
  
All was pleasant and normal in the city. Many people were selling food and flowers... it depressed Yamato. Soon there would be weapons and other war items of mass destruction flooding the sales. Yamato already had his supplies, however...  
  
With Taichi on his back still, he went into the Kapra inc. building in town and accessed his storage, pulling out some fighting gear that he had not touched for years...  
  
****  
  
Taichi dreamed of angels. Several of them flew by, and he felt that he recognized their faces, but he couldn't tell who they were. Their wings retracted and opened up, over and over again, lighting up the otherwise black area. One of them approached him, her robe flowing in her flight.  
  
" Taichi," she said, " Do you plan to search for Ymir?"  
  
" Yes..."  
  
" Do you know your motif? What stake you want to take?"  
  
His dream-self had little conscious, so he immediately answered in his sincerity. The information came straight from his mind, so there was no struggle in pulling it out. " I want to know the outside world. I want to become a strong fighter. I want to help my mother return to life. I want a companion..."  
  
The angel seemed unphased, but... " Even if your dreams you are still able to be discreet toward the Goddess of Strength."  
  
Taichi's eyes widened. " Goddess of Strength? What? Why?"  
  
She smiled. " You are close to waking up, I see... your emotions are emerging. Taichi, times are going to become chaotic as it did 1,000 years ago. I am speaking to individual's through their dreams with this message. We of the immortal people have no power the fate bestowed upon you. This will be Ragnarok unless you choose a different path."  
  
" Ragnarok? What is..."  
  
He blinked and was startled to see Yamato as the angel instead, the wings grown smaller... He felt a breeze, he heard seagulls in the distance. Yamato was staring at him, obviously not noticing he had woken up. ' What... wait a sec, those wings are on his head...'  
  
He made a grab for them, and it was Yamato's turn to be startled. The wings didn't come off easily, unfortunately for Taichi.  
  
" Hey! This is mine, you idiot!" Yamato snapped, using an arm for protection.  
  
Taichi let go, then watched as Yamato backed and adjusted his headgear. In awe, the brunette murmured, " Angelband..."  
  
" Yes, it's our family heirloom, it was used in the war 1,000 years ago."  
  
" And it still looks brand new..."  
  
" It always does. It never gets dirty." Yamato stared out to the sea surrounding them. He obviously had no tempt to blab endlessly about it.  
  
Taichi didn't have the strength to stand up, but he wasn't sure if it was from the shock or from the Poison Spore attack. " All these years of admiring it in my studies... And you have it, Yamato... You had one all along..."  
  
" I try not to overuse it," Yamato said modestly. " Um... how are you feeling?"  
  
Taichi moved around a bit, testing his leg joints and such. " Fine. Thanks for taking care of me."  
  
Still focused on the water, Yamato turned a light crimsom. Taichi didn't catch it on time, but slunk back down to rest more. And the angels danced in his mind again...  
  
****  
  
He was awakened by the sound of hustle and bustle outside the ship, and stood up. Yamato was tending to his bow and brought it over his shoulder. " The ship landed a few minutes ago. Shall we leave?"  
  
" Um, okay..." Taichi heaved himself up with his arms, then stumbled over on his leg. The blonde held him by the shoulder, but suddenly retracted. Some kind of spark hit him deep in his gut of his stomach. It didn't hurt him physically, but it sent a rush through all of his insides. What was...  
  
His Angelband was twitching peculiarly, also in response as Taichi waited for Yamato to lead. Of all strange occurrences, could this boy have some kind of key to solve them? Or help destroy civilization? Perhaps humankind needed to be extreme and get rid of the brunette...  
  
Yamato shook his head. " Let fate be."  
  
He strode ahead, and Taichi was immediately entranced by the crowded streets surrounding them. He awed at the modernized buildings, the murmur of the people...  
  
" Such activity..."  
  
" Oh, let is off, Taichi. You haven't seen busy yet," Yamato said casually, " Izlude is the smallest city in Midgard."  
  
He walked through the crowd with ease, little realizing that Taichi was having trouble keeping pace with his leg. He walked past the center shops, past the Kapra headquarters and onto the bridge leading to Prontera field. And it took him that long to figure out Taichi was no longer behind him.  
  
" Taichi!" he called into the mass of people. ' If only I had a falcon... it could search him out.'  
  
He puffed a heavy sigh, and then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something... " A vending merchant with rare items..."  
  
Several people were surrounding the merchant's display, and it took a short while for Yamato to spot his target.  
  
" Taichi, stop dwindling..."  
  
The brunette's eyes were glittering and didn't hear him at all, however. The sight was too much for him. " Western Grace! Heaven Ring! Masquerade! Romantic Leaf!" He exclaimed, literally going down the display line naming things. " But they're all so expensive..."  
  
All of a sudden Taichi lost all of his cheeriness, turned down by reality. Yamato saw this, and walked up to Taichi. " It must be so disappointing to know so much about things he could never have." Archers were poor people in general...  
  
The merchant, a short stocky jolly man with a moustache and old-fashioned brown hat on, had a smile plastered on his face. " Anything interest ya particularly, laddie?" he said to Taichi in his jolly manner.  
  
" Um... yes, but I cannot afford any of it..." Taichi replied solemnly.  
  
" My dear laddie, I notice that your face is bare. It gaves me pain to see such a thing!" said the merchant, gesturing enough to make a small scene. " But I doubt your tastes are for something awkward like this Apple 'O Archer." He opened his hand toward the red fake apple with an arrow through. It contained some magical substance to increase an archer's strength when worn on the head. But the price, 750,000 zeny...  
  
" Of course not, sir," Taichi said, " I don't even have close to 100,000 zeny..." his face slunk even lower than Yamato thought possible.  
  
" I know!" The merchant cried suddenly, surprising both Yamato and Taichi. He shuffled through his large bag, and brought out something new. " These are a favorite among young laddies like yourself, but they always stop wearing them when they think they've found something 'cooler.'"  
  
" A Kittyband," Yamato blurted, finding it strange that Taichi had not beaten him to the punch.  
  
" And just for you, laddie," said the Merchant, holding the headband by letting the ears rest on his palm and the supports dangling on the sides. " It's yours for 50,000 zeny."  
  
Taichi didn't say anything, and Yamato was once again surprised. Why was he so quiet? He glanced at the brunette and saw that Taichi had a completely unseen expression. He seemed to be close on the brink of tears, but was stone still on the outside. It broke Yamato's heart to see him like that... Yamato didn't want anybody to come out of this empty-handed...  
  
" I'll pay it for him," he said, instantly reaching for his pocket," 50k on the dot."  
  
" Are you his friend? I believe I've seen you before."  
  
" Perhaps. I travel often. Here you go." He handed the bearded merchant the zeny.  
  
" He must be quite obligated to have such a nice man accompanying him. Here, laddie, your new Kittyband." He held it out with both hands as if it were fragile like glass.  
  
Yamato saw the expression on Taichi's face, which the merchant obviously could not read. " Uh, sir? I'll give it to him, he seems to be having problems at the moment."  
  
The merchant nodded pleasantly and gave the Kittyband to Yamato, then waved farewell and immediately attended to other customers.  
  
Before he knew what he was doing, Yamato put his arm around Taichi's back. " Taichi? Your Kittyband. It's not expensive for me, so don't feel bad... and you got a really good deal."  
  
Taichi was still in shock. His direction of eye had not changed ever since Yamato made his offer. Yamato led him to a bench near the bridge and sat him down. Taichi just kept staring ahead.  
  
" Here, I'll put it on for you." He kneeled down in front of the brunette.  
  
Yamato stroked a few strands of Taichi's hair to fit the headband in, and carefully tucked it behind his ears. He paused before letting go, however. Another strange wave of something went through him at the contact. And as he held the Kittyband and part of Taichi's hair, he could feel more...  
  
The Angelband twitched, and he felt as if some thunderstorm had hit him. He lost grasp of his own consciousness and could not sustain himself from the burst of energy. The last thing he saw was the shock of Taichi's soft hair...  
  
****  
  
Yeah... Takouji and Taito in the next part if people want it put up.. ^^;;;  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	2. Enter Chaos

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 2: Enter Chaos  
****  
  
Ooo, reviews!! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback! The Takouji begins here, sorry if I disappointed you specialties in the first chapter ^^; And Taito in this chapter as well, as well as MANY other familiar characters. Like I previously said, the mixing is because plot needs to be explained. ^^;  
  
Sarah: If it'll be on any site the earliest... it'll probably be Fanfiction.net. But I'm going to use the same website link that is used on Got Taito for Burning Light as well, so it saves some work for me... hehe.  
  
And oh... website version, check it for gallery pics and such (Thanks CC for such a wonderful pic!): http://gottaito.dreamwater.org/fics/RO.htm  
  
Nitro7 has a nice card picture gallery if you want an idea of what some of the monsters look like (just note that some of the pictures are uber scary or uber cute), or their sprite forms in the actual Ragnarok Online game: http://ro.nitro7.com/html/index.php  
  
****  
  
~Even the rock that refuses to move will turn into sand eventually~  
  
****  
  
They had forgotten how long they have lived like this. They resided in the backskirts of the houses in Morroc, never seen by the townspeople who were so occupied. People knew them well personality-wise in this town, but no one knew any of their basic information. No one knew anyone else in their family, or even knew if they HAD family. They didn't know where they lived, or what plans they had for the future. They just knew that these boys existed and prospered by working rightfully. No one knew that they were thieves and at one point or another they had probably been looted from them.  
  
Not too long ago they had established a small business, which was highly unlike many of the thieves of the town. After all, why work when you can just steal? However, it worked to their advantage, since no one would suspect such business boys would also be thieves, and they made large profits on top of it.  
  
The two had discovered the wonderful material that came from Picky feathers. In their early days they struggled with gathering the feathers; the Picky would peck back pretty hard. The more intelligent of these tiny hopping birds kept their eggshells from their birth, using them as headshields. The boys had weak weapons at the time, but as they progressed their profits earned them improved weapons. Eventually Picky were slaughtered with one blow. The thieves would pluck out their feathers before they respawned in a flash.  
  
The boys always resided in places with a roof above them. There were several unoccupied buildings in Morroc, and one couldn't tell from first glance since all of the buildings were made from rock material and there was no difference from a new or old building.  
  
They had little relavity to society's way of keeping time; they relied on the sun and moon. They knew of which times the most peopl were out in the streets selling or buying... they knew the rich people in town, and of course took their routine "welfare" from them. They wouldn't notice if a couple hundred zeny disappeared from their trouves every once in a while...  
  
This particular day, Takuya had just returned from exchanging a load of Picky feathers to the seamstresses of Morroc. He wiped his forehead, lifting his goggles to relieve himself. his partner had not arrived "home" yet, so he decided to count their savings. He opened the jars full of coins and the bags in his pockets. And as he counted, he dreamed...  
  
For the past few weeks a clear cut routine had been established between Takuya and Kouji. When the sun began to show itself after the moon left, the two would wake up and eat breakfast together, then venture out to gather feathers. With their powerful Damascus daggers they never worried about getting severely hurt doing their work. They would meet back when the sun was directly above them. They had even found a place that would suit them more than a temporary area, and they could almost call it "home." It was the remains of an abandoned building that was torn down; the two sides of wall they had supported the small roof. The boys had hung a feather blanket along some of the roof, enclosing the side that was absent of a wall. It was as cozy as the playhouses the children made with with blankets and chairs. Better yet, it was located in a lonely corner of Morroc that no one ever went near, so they had complete privacy.  
  
Several hours later, he heard the sound of shoes shifting sand.  
  
" Picky are getting very boring," the newcomer said blandly, a large bag in his tow. " I probably got enough feathers to last us a full week, and the sun is still high in the sky."  
  
The boys did learn the social form of telling time, but they were so used to their own system that it would take them much thought to realize it was noon. They simply measured by the location of the sun or moon in the sky, as they did to count the days. They did take the simplicities of "weeks" "months" and other intervals higher than so.  
  
" I just sold a bundle I made earlier this sun. It was also enough to last us a week," Takuya added, finishing up his counting results.  
  
The other boy sat down near Takuya, temporarily abandoning his load. " What's with the money spread?"  
  
" Um..." Takuya itched the side of his ear near his firey brown sideburns. " You look tired."  
  
" The wild PecoPeco were giving me a hard time."  
  
" PecoPeco!" Takuya exclaimed in an admonishing tone, " You know how protective they are of each other. Birds of a feather flock together."  
  
" Well, at least the Picky don't have the brains for that," the other replied, peeling off his constraining top. Spending a long time in the hot sun reflecting off sand was painful.  
  
Takuya scooted over, facing the other's back. " Here," he said, placing his hands on the tight shoulders. Takuya began to massage them, loosening the tension from his back.  
  
The other immediately felt sleepy, drooping bangs tickling his nose.  
  
Takuya was contemplating, he had been for quite a while, but had not felt motivated to voice his ideas until now. " Kouji..."  
  
" Hm?"  
  
" I've been thinking... do you want to go outside the Morroc area?"  
  
Kouji snapped out of his dazed state. " Outside Morroc..."  
  
He didn't know what to say to that. Of the many years he had spent with Takuya, his mind was set on making a living. They had struggled so much in the beginning that he wasn't sure to do with their new sense of freedom. Adventure and leisure were completely out of question until now... It would be a huge change... and Kouji was afraid of it, though he didn't like to admit it.  
  
" What's wrong with staying in Morroc?"  
  
" Nothing's wrong with Morroc," Takuya replied. He began to massage more strenuously, " but I feel like we're missing out on a lot of things we can do with our lives."  
  
Kouji shifted to sit Indian-style, and tilted his head forward. " Hmm..."  
  
Takuya knew he was having doubts. " Kouji... I'll DIE if I stay here... I'll die of an unsatisfied soul. I want to see what's out there... I want to know what I'm missing."  
  
" You're free to go if you want," Kouji said, " I'm not going to keep you back."  
  
That hurt the brunette. He didn't reply to that; he ran his hands lightly over Kouji's back, brushing past his ponytail.  
  
Kouji had to catch his breath when he felt two arms envelop him from behind. Takuya rested his chin on Kouji's shoulder.  
  
" I'm not going without you," Takuya murmured.  
  
Ever since both sets of parents had left for Geffen and never come back, Takuya and Kouji have had to live on their own. They mastered the art of thievery together, they suffered the hardships of poverty together... they went through grief, through helplessness, through loneliness...  
  
" We have almost 300,000 zeny now... we have more than enough to survive out there. Why do you think we've been saving all this money? Will it all go to nothing at the end?"  
  
Kouji slowly raised a hand and covered one of Takuya's on his chest. " Yes, you are right on that..." he said slowly.  
  
A hint of a smile appeared on Takuya. " Kouji...?"  
  
The darker-haired boy took a big breath, concluding his thoughts. " We'll go tomorrow morning. How about that?"  
  
That just made Takuya grin gleefully. " Kouji!"  
  
He hugged the dark-haired boy tighter, and nuzzled Kouji's neck.  
  
Kouji turned hot red. He was slightly used to Takuya's cuddly behavior, but sometimes he wondered if there was a specific reason for it. Like now, Takuya was lingering a little too long...  
  
But unlike most times when they were occupied with other activities, Kouji didn't have any excuse this time. And he didn't want to push Takuya away for his own reasons...  
  
He could hear his own heart pounding in close sync with Takuya's. He found his hand on Takuya's tightening without notice. There was silence for a long while, only the light wind blowing through the golden sand creating noise. Most of the townsfolk had gone home to eat, so they could not be heard through their home walls.  
  
Kouji's head was spinning in mixed feelings. For years he had waited for a moment such as this. He had always admired Takuya, not necessarily for his wisdom (although he was the innovator for the Picky business), but for his energy. Takuya never failed to cheer him up, and be there for him when he was lonely. And well, they HAD no one else except each other. That was what scared Kouji... if they were to adventure, others might interfere. He needed the reassurance that Takuya would stay with him no matter what happened.  
  
Kouji's breathing jerked again as he felt something more than nuzzling on his neck. He could feel Takuya's heated breath arousing him to the core. There was no way he could hold it any longer... He turned around in Takuya's grasp, and before he knew it their lips met in searing passion. Kouji wrapped his arms around Takuya, creeping his hands past the thin tank top Takuya was wearing and ran them against his spine. It sent a thrilling chill through Takuya, and he groaned in response.  
  
Takuya pushed Kouji against the wall of their haven, still hidden by the shade. And they continued to release everything they had held back for so long...  
  
****  
  
" Damascus?"  
  
" Check."  
  
" Clothes?"  
  
" Check."  
  
" Food?"  
  
" Check."  
  
" Zeny?"  
  
" Check."  
  
" Takuya?"  
  
" ..."  
  
Kouji gave a small smile; it was the smile Takuya constantly longed to see. He did not see it when he first met Kouji, and rarely saw it in general. It brought him great angst that he could not give Kouji enough happiness to have him reveal that smile more often, but seeing it at this moment brought him much contentment. " Check, Kouji."  
  
Takuya ran his hand across Kouji's clad back before picking up his traveling load. The guard near the Morroc exit gave him a nod and salut; he knew they were bidding a prolonged farewell. " Good luck to you two."  
  
They had a general idea of where to go, but neither of them had ventured out of the desert area before. In fact, neither of them had ever seen grass, although they knew it existed. They weren't COMPLETE losses.  
  
For several hours they walked with ease. They sank every reminisce of the desert that they were slowly walking away from. They were accustomed to the heat, adored it, and now they would try themselves in the cold outdoors of the unknown. They brought little food with them, and they were mainly fresh fruits and vegetables.  
  
" So how much do you know about the world out there, Takuya? Hopefully you've done some research since it was your idea."  
  
" Enough to get us around... there aren't many resources in Morroc, but travelers are usually around the exchange merchants... I learned a lot from them."  
  
They went several minutes in silence afterwards, then Takuya randomly stopped in his tracks. " We should camp out here tonight. We can get into Prontera sometime tomorrow morning, it should be around here."  
  
They killed several Condor birds for meat, cooking them over the deadwood trees around the area. The sun set over their remaining fire, carrying away the desert heat to leave it deathly cold. Takuya remembered the last time he had slept in Sograt Desert at night... it certainly wasn't pleasant. There was howling that kept him awake most of the time...  
  
But now, Kouji was there with him. The dark boy's presence gave Takuya a high sense of security.  
  
Kouji laid out several blankets, then urged Takuya over. " It's going to be exceptionally cold tonight... I can feel it."  
  
Takuya believed him, since Kouji had a sense for those types of things; he was always amazed with Kouji's connection to nature.  
  
They had extremely comforting blankets, as extra Picky feathers provided great insulation against the cold nights of the desert. Takuya snuggled in as the sun set and gazed at the radiant sky, blazing red and purple streaking across. Kouji laid right next to him, noticing his intentional closeness. Takuya smiled and leaned his head on Kouji's shoulder, loving the feeling that was brought to his being. ' Life is beautiful...'  
  
And for the first time, the howling of the night didn't phase him.  
  
****  
  
Several minutes later, Taichi gazed at the limp head resting on his shoulder, and Yamato's arms resting on his sides.  
  
" Oh, God..." he looked around desperately for someone who could help. Everyone in town appeared to be swordsmen or merchants... he wouldn't find any acolytes here.  
  
He got up from the bench (not remembering how he had come to be there in the first place) and was about to bring Yamato onto his back...but a light groan halted him. The blonde's head was pressed against Taichi's neck as he stirred into consciousness.  
  
" The Goddess of Strength called me..." was the first thing Yamato mumbled. Taichi just stood still, not sure what to do or say. So much had already happened to him, and the impact of these events had just begun to hit him.  
  
Yamato leaned lifeless on Taichi's back, breathing onto his neck. Stranger yet, he didn't feel uncomfortable...  
  
" Y... Yamato, weren't we on our way out?"  
  
" Yeah."  
  
Taichi's voice wavered, slightly nervous. " Shouldn't we get going?"  
  
The blonde blinked. " Oh... Oh yeah."  
  
He hesitantly lifted himself up, then led the way across the Izlude bridge outside the town.  
  
****  
  
As soon as they entered through the gates, Taichi had an incredible feeling of being overwhelmed. He had heard about the vastness of the capital city Prontera, but he had no idea that it would surpass what he had imagined. Almost every yard was occupied with people or buildings. People talked and played in the streets, merchants rattled off tales of their products, and the townsfolk seemed happy.  
  
As Yamato passed the south entrance, he ignored the swarming activity and immediately bee-lined a path through the crowd.  
  
" Wait up, Yamato!" Taichi called. ' Why is that guy always in a hurry? Even I don't rush that much though my mother needs help.'  
  
Taichi was more alert this time and didn't fall behind, however. He didn't even spend the time to observe the dazzling fountain in the center of the icyt. They breezed past some walls separating the inner and outer parts of the city, then took a sharp right. Soon they had arrived at one of the larger buildings in the city... Prontera Church.  
  
They went into the church and entered a smaller room. " Yamato Ishida, transitional archer has arrived," the blonde stated to a large man at the entrance.  
  
The large man checked off something on his clipboard, then nodded without looking at Yamato. He didn't bother to ask about Taichi's presence with him. The two archers wandered until they found unoccupied seats next to each other, and by some natural notion they faced the honorable figure standing in front of the room. Taichi saw that they were surrounded by other acolytes, but there were a few people... he couldn't tell what they were. He hadn't seen such unfamiliar clothing...  
  
" Citizens of Midgard," the figure announced, silencing the small conversation in the room, " We are gathered here today for business of extreme importance to the future of this world. We have received many signs of something vast stirring the skies. Aggressive monster attacks have been reported with casualties, and just recently the Vagabond Wolf has reappeared."  
  
A general gasp erupted from the crowd, and Taichi reddened at the reference.  
  
" Now, the reason for these occurences is still quite vague," the figure continued, " Our travelers here have arrived with updates on the situation."  
  
Taichi looked at Yamato in slight confusion as the blonde stood up along with the foreign-clothed people. The blonde glanced at his hands, then peeled off his gloves and stuffed them in his pockets.  
  
" Koushirou Izumi, merchant," the one most front said, " Jyou Kido, wizard, and I have been studying artifacts in Geffen Tower."  
  
" It's overcrowded with poison spores now!" Jyou chimed in, almost frantic. " I almost couldn't keep my Ice Wall up."  
  
" Takato Matsuda, traveling with Jenrya Lee, swordsmen. We have explored the mysterious ship near Alberta... it's filled with Pirate Skeletons. We barely made it back alive but this is the first place that we announced it."  
  
Another murmur shot through the crowd. Even Taichi was finding it difficult to swallow the details.  
  
" Daisuke Motomiya and Ken Ichijouji, assassins. There are monsters in the Pyramids and Sphinx of unimaginable proportions..."  
  
By now there was such loud chatter in the contained room, the head figure had to try to quiet everyone. " All right... we have the power to do something about this. Calm down..."  
  
Taichi, who was simply too bewildered to be joining in the chatter, noticed that Yamato had his arms crossed as he often did in his pensive moods. This time he had an air of annoyance with him...  
  
" People!" the figure finally shouted. A silence ensued.  
  
" Yamato Ishida, archer," the blonde said in dark calmness. " Who has information on...Ymir?"  
  
And silence still ensued. Yamato turned on his heel and looked around for someone who knew anything... " Anything at all?"  
  
Koushirou had his hand on his chin. " There are only legends... the one closest to being proven is that Ymir can be found in pieces throughout the world when it is in turmoil. But even that is quite vague... there are no clues as where to find these pieces or what to do with them."  
  
" Or what these ' pieces' are in the first place," Taichi said outloud. The entire room turned to face him.  
  
Yamato also jerked his head in the brunette's direction and flustered. " Uh... this is Taichi Yagami, beginning archer. He is my apprentice..."  
  
Taichi stood up and took a new stance. " My mother was victimized by the Vagabond Wolf, so I am on a quest to find someone who can revive her. I am in need of a Priest to-"  
  
He had not said an extra word before he found himself slammed against the wall outside the meeting room, Yamato getting close to his face.  
  
" What the hell do you think you're doing?!?"  
  
" I was just-"  
  
Again he was interrupted, this time by Yamato covering his mouth with an ungloved hand.  
  
" No... why did I bother asking you that?" the blonde said, deeply irritated, even more so than he was with the jabbering crowd. " We are in the most important meeting in a thousand years and you think you can ask them a personal favor at your advantage? It's selfish! It's-"  
  
Taichi forced Yamato's hand off and countered his words. " I don't want my mother revived just because she's my mother! There must be some reason why the Vagabond Wolf chose to attack our household, perhaps my mother knows! When I was young, she told me our family had a similar experience during the war 1,000 years ago..."  
  
Yamato looked back at him in surprise. " You didn't tell me that..."  
  
" I don't know what it was that attacked our family that long ago," Taichi continued, giving himself some room from the wall. " I just know that it haunts us even as I speak."  
  
" Oh... I'm sorry..." Yamato turned his back on him, shame-faced. " Guess I screwed it up this time... I'm so sorry..."  
  
Taichi felt compassionate all of a sudden to see Yamato so sincerely expressing himself. " Yamato, it's okay, I'll just go back and ask them again..." Something evoked him to place his hand on Yamato's shoulder, and was shocked to feel the shoulder trembling.  
  
Yamato didn't turn back over, avoiding eye contact.  
  
" Taichi..."  
  
A distant chorus of screams cut him off. Immediately Yamato snapped into action, heading toward the main church room. Taichi followed, and the two opened the church doors at the same time...  
  
The first three rows of seats in the church were filled with acolytes, standing in scared positions. At the head of the room, there was... a creature. It couldn't have been more than 2 feet tall. It had a gruff beard, stood on two hooves and carried a scythe... to its side laid a body of a man in dark robes, his small round hat fallen.  
  
" Humans of Midgard," the creature said in a miniscule, yet intimidating voice. It turned its head to do a sweeping gaze around the room, as if making sure every person was paying attention. And of course, they were... " Spread the word... OUR MASTER HAS RETURNED!!!"  
  
The creature lunged head on to the targets straight ahead... Taichi and Yamato.  
  
****  
  
Nyaaa.... I like writing Taito angst more and Takouji fluffiness more... is that bad? XD  
  
Splash  
http://gottaito.cjb.net 


	3. Of Heroes

****  
  
Where Fate Turns  
  
Chapter 3: Of Heroes  
  
****  
  
This is a Taichi/Yamato chapter, next chapter will be Takuya/Kouji. ^^ Still lots of plot development. To answer:  
  
DarklightAngel-Midgard is actually based off Norse Mythology, like much of Ragnarok is based off of.  
  
Lady Moon-Funny I did this chapter before remembering your words. I was meaning to try the other side beside Taichi's in the next chapters. @_@; My Takouji angst muse is taking a break until there's more Takouji angst on FF.N from other authors, I suppose.  
  
Self-insertion? Slightly, although I changed the name and it's my RO character. She has her own personality, though... the one I use in the game =3  
  
My favorite part about cRO is the systems... these guys are great exploiters of the RO world. Pictures of the Ledge are at http://takouji.fateback.com/Ragnarok/ROGallery.htm  
  
****  
  
~To control your instincts is to alter fate, thus the human success strategy~  
  
****  
  
" Taichi!"  
  
The blonde archer pushed him away from the danger, than managed to back off from the creature's attack. It looked up at him and snarled evily, and swung its scythe at him. Yamato backed off each time to dodge each blow, but he could only go so far...  
  
The acolytes did not hesitate to act; half of them started to work up a barrier for everyone and the other half gave power boosts to the two archers. They had little ability to fight themselves but knew that the those particular two did. Taichi scrambled to his feet and tried desperately to think of something...  
  
He still had some of the fire arrows from fighting the Vagabond Wolf. Taichi loaded a couple and Double Strafed the monster. The scythe made such a quick movement, and the arrows laid harmless on the ground.  
  
" Hmph," the creature snuffed, giving a skeptical look at the brunette.  
  
Taking the distraction as an oppurtunity, Yamato aimed some arrows at the monster. He gasped when it turned to him again, and launched them at an impulse. Once again, the scythe swung, and the arrows rendered no damage.  
  
' I need to move to a safer spot. I'm almost trapped,' he thought in a rush, noticing he was almost to the church doors. Luckily, he received an agility boost from one of the acolytes just in time to dodge a scythe attack from above. The weapon stuck itself in the floor, cracking the cement. Yamato ran to Taichi's side.  
  
Intense faces settled the area as the monster struggled to take out his scythe. " I can't believe he's here," Taichi said quietly in scared awe.  
  
One of the acolytes called out "Angelus!" and the rest followed his example, a visible barrier appearing on everyone except the monster.  
  
" We have to shoot it now while it's vulnerable," Yamato said quickly, already aiming more arrows.  
  
Another Double Strafe streamed toward the monster, and made a direct hit. Taichi expected a smug look on Yamato's face, but it wasn't there. Instead, it remained fixed, not a trace of his guard was down. It was quite admirable, actually.  
  
" Taichi, shoot at him and don't stop!"  
  
Taichi looked at the monster and saw that the arrows that had hit it were gone and its scythe was ready again. Motivated by the approaching danger, Taichi loaded up his arrows and shot like no tomorrow. The scythe became a blur in front of the creature, shielding it from almost every arrow. Occasionally one would hit, then disappear, leaving the beast nearly unharmed.  
  
The acolytes were all doing some type of prayer surrounding Taichi and Yamato. The arrows could only keep the monster back for so long... And all the acolytes could do was provide a barrier...  
  
It was inevitable, the monster approached the barrier, still dodging off arrows, and managed to slice against it with the scythe. Some of the acolytes made small screams, and the barrier wavered. They would be dead meat at this rate...  
  
All of a sudden, several arrows made their way into the monster, and it wailed echoes in the church room. Yamato quirked his eyes. " I didn't do that..."  
  
From the other side of the room a bird swooped in, and nabbed at the monster with its sharp beak, over and over again. The bird flew back up, made a turn around and came back down on the monster. A small cloud of mess covered them, and when it cleared up, all what was left was the scythe clattering on the floor. There was absolutely no trace of the monster.  
  
" ...What was that...?" Taichi said, breaking the silence as the bird swiftly flew back to the church doors. From the shadows of the church doors stepped a female, of which Taichi noticed one particular thing. No surprise. " You have a bunny band!"  
  
The large white bunny ears dangled over her head, but she didn't mind it at all. She had long indigo hair tied in a loose ponytail, wore a rather limited amount of clothing, but it was suitable for her class. The bird landed on her shoulder, holding its wings out for balance as she walked farther into the room.  
  
" Is everyone okay in here?" she said to the crowd.  
  
Several of the acolytes brought over the victim lying on the ground. " The head priest sacrificed himself to help us..."  
  
" Priest!" Taichi said, nearly squeaking. " Will he be okay?"  
  
The acolytes shook their heads. " I'm afraid not. He was a brave fellow."  
  
Taichi sighed. " The poor man..."  
  
****  
  
The female was a huntress, and clearly by her stance she was a purebred one, from the fondness she had of her massive falcon to her modesty. She had great power by herself, but found it more satisfactory to cooperate with others.  
  
" So that was a Baphomet?" Taichi said, concerned. Even with his extent of item knowledge he knew who a Baphomet was. Who could not know the most infamous monster of all...  
  
" Yeah right, that was just one of the juniors," the female huntress said. " The real one is unbelievably impossible."  
  
Taichi blinked. 'Unbelievably impossible?'  
  
The people who had gathered in the meeting room were at the scene, holding their own conversations on the point-turning events.  
  
Conversation rushed here and there, the many acolytes and other classes deciding on what to do. Some argued that whoever was causing such catastrophe would soon show himself. Some thought that there was nothing they could do but wait and watch. Finally, the head figure ended the conflict of the discussion. " These dungeons that are now occupied with monsters, the representatives from other towns will return to those towns. They will gather parties to explore the dungeons further, for some clue as to what is happening is surely in the heat of those places."  
  
The meeting was dismissed right after the disclosing, and the other classmen departed. The female huntress said not an extra word and rushed off after the dismissal before anyone could ask for an identification. Yamato remained on the meeting room chair, contemplating.  
  
" We represent Payon, right? Shouldn't we go back?" Taichi said to him.  
  
Yamato crossed his arms and leaned back on his seat. " No, not yet. People are already exploring the dungeon there anyhow. We, on the other hand..." he tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. " Are going to the ledge."  
  
" The ledge...?"  
  
" In Bibilan. The only challenge is getting there. After that it's party galore, unless you want to become a tanker. But even that is fun."  
  
He and Taichi got up from their seats and left the building. The hustle and bustle was in a different mood...  
  
Clusters of fighters gathered here and there, weapon and armor antiques appeared from merchant bags. Without being asked, Taichi followed Yamato's quick path. It had become some sort of automacy for him. Yamato entered a building with a sign saying " Kapra headquarters." Taichi had seen a similar place in Payon and remembered his mother had given him their access code.  
  
As he entered, he spotted Yamato taking something out of the storage access machine. " Taichi, give me your Composite bow. I'll give you something better."  
  
Taichi did as he was told, curious to what Yamato had. The blonde put the old looking composite Bow into the storage machine, then took out a sharp-looking black one.  
  
" This here is my old crossbow. It shoots lightning fast and accurate, naturally."  
  
" Thank you," Taichi said, not knowing what else to do to show his gratitude. He wondered if Yamato's material generosity was purely out of the fact that Yamato had an apprentice now, or... He peered at the blonde, who gave him a half-smile.  
  
He didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as Yamato was exiting the headquarters in a flash. Taichi picked up his feet to catch up to him. They entered a section of town where many acolytes were scattered, sitting on the pavement with some kind of signs next to them.  
  
" What's with the signs?" Taichi asked, reading town names on them.  
  
" We're at the well-known aco wall, the southwest corner of Prontera," Yamato informed, " people can buy a warp to almost anywhere in Midgard here. We don't need one, but just slightly below there is a woman who sells china dishes. The benches outside her station are a popular place for people to gather. But there's something else I need..."  
  
All of a sudden, Yamato put two fingers in between his lips and gave a loud whistle. The noise was ignored by most of the townsfolk since they were used to the sound of portals opening. A shrill shriek followed, coming from high in the sky. Taichi looked up, using his hand to shade the sunlight.  
  
A small bird swooped down through the crowd, landing neatly on Yamato's shoulder. Taichi's jaw dropped.  
  
" Only hunters are supposed to have..."  
  
" I'm a natural hunter, but technically I belong to the archer class at the moment," Yamato explained. " This bird was born the same day I was, and is bonded to me. It will not be harmed when I am, but when I die... it will follow."  
  
The bird started preening itself, seemingly ignoring Taichi's intent stare. " Does it have a name? It's rather small," he asked, remembering the female hunter's bird. Her bird stood up almost to her shoulders. Yamato's barely went up to his knees.  
  
" His name is Hawkes. Those kind of falcons don't reach their growth maturaity for a long time. That female hunter probably bought hers from the hunter's guild."  
  
Yamato continued on the south path to head outside Prontera. " Come on, Taichi. We can catch a trip to Bibilan Island in Izlude. My Angelband is feeling its call already."  
  
****  
  
Taichi was already familiarizing with Izlude, and found following Yamato to the seaport to be a breeze. Izlude looked miniscule compared to Prontera, and less crowded as well.  
  
" 300 zeny for two to Bibilan Island," the ticket-selling sailor declared, leading the boys to the ship's deck.  
  
It was a matter of minutes to reach Bibilan. As the pair got off the ship, they were surprised to see the female from the church...  
  
" Hey, it's you two again. What are you here for?" she asked.  
  
" We're heading to the ledge to train my apprentice," Yamato replied, indicating the brunette. Taichi quirked his eyebrow. Somehow Yamato calling him apprentice seemed awkward. He found it disappointing that he was nothing more...  
  
" Do you guys need an escort? It's tough to walk there without using fly wings, especially for first classes."  
  
She was sitting on the lush green grass that covered the island, among several other people she apparently did not know. In fact, there was no indication that she was associated with anyone else around the area. ' She and Yamato have a lot of similarities...' Taichi mused.  
  
As they walked toward the center of the island together, the female completely ignored the strange look her falcon was giving the smaller one. " I've seen you around before. Are you Yamato?"  
  
Yamato's eyes widened. " How do you..."  
  
" I must have come across you hunting caramels at Mt. Mjolnir."  
  
" So how do you know my name?" Yamato said suspiciously.  
  
" I don't know. It's a skill, I guess," she said, shrugging off any further comment and hopping gaily down the steps leading to the dungeon. Taichi and Yamato exchanged bewildered looks.  
  
" What's your name, then?" Taichi popped the question spur of the moment.  
  
" Sakura. Shall we go in?" Without waiting for an answer, she wandered past the pillars holding up the dark entrance.  
  
Yamato and Taichi followed her inside. Immediately Taichi was spellbound by the dazzling crystalline colors reflecting off the puddles of water. A Vadon crab scuttled by them, and several Kukre (crayfish looters that Yamato despised) were huddled around a pile of Garlets. The shine of the purple crystalization of the Garlets attracted Taichi's eye, but Yamato tugged on his shoulder; Sakura was walking ahead at a fast pace. Taichi shook up his willpower and tagged behind Yamato.  
  
They crawled through path after path of water and damp land, and everything seemed empty for a while. " Is there anything down here?"  
  
" Don't let your guard down, Taichi," Yamato said, " Hydra will show up as we go deeper."  
  
" Hydra?"  
  
And just like some kind of cliché, he felt something wrap around his legs, and he almost fell over. He peered down and instantly saw the tentacles holding him down. It wasn't hurting him too much (besides the circulation being cut off from his legs), so he looked around from where the tentacles were coming from. Sure enough, there was what appeared to be a Hydra, a faceless rectangular monster, about 10 feet away from him. Still keeping his balance, he took some arrows from his pack, fit it onto the cross bow and shot it three times before it fell over. The tentacles taking Taichi hostage drew back into the ground, disappearing.  
  
From a distance, he saw Yamato smiling at him. " Get the tentacles before it respawns, I've brought along a loot bad for anything we get."  
  
Taichi did as he was told, then hurried to catch up with Yamato, who was trying to catch up with Sakura.  
  
She cleared the pathway of Hydra with two quick hits, and soon they reached a set of stairs leading down. " There's more Hydra on the next level, so stay close to me," Yamato said, reddening slightly. Taichi just nodded, ignoring the hint and closing some space between them.  
  
Sakura continued to annihilate Hydra all along the second level, and walked past the Marina jellyfish and Thara Frogs. The huntress made the area a breeze to walk through. They arrived at the next set of stairs in about a minute.  
  
" All right, guys, things get tough after this point. Watch out for Obeaune mermaids, and the level after this will be chaotic. Whatever you do on that level, keep running. I'll only talk to tell you where to go if I ever do. It's important that you keep moving until you reach the ledge. If you have monsters tailing you when you're near the ledge, let the other ledgers kill them before joining them. They're pretty good at paying back the people who bring monsters onto the ledge purposely."  
  
Bow in hand and arrows in the other, she trotted down the stairs and waited for the boys. And lo and behold, an Obeaune could be seen in the distance, but the mermaid had not seen them yet.  
  
" Ambush it," Sakura said softly, " I dislike those things with a passion."  
  
She had a good reason to. They had shot it about 15 times in total and it still managed to land a hit on Sakura with its deadly hairs. The mermaid was silent as another slew of arrows finished it.  
  
" Damn, those things take a lot of arrows," Taichi commented as Sakura took the mermaid's heart to add to the loot bag.  
  
" Marcs and Swordfish take even more, and they're all over the next level. Let's go," Sakura said, immediately continuing her path.  
  
****  
  
" Here it is. After this point, just RUN. Into the water, go."  
  
Taichi gawked at the portal. " Inside the water?"  
  
" Yeah, you can breathe in it. Here I go!" Sakura jumped inside. There was a splash indicating she went through, but she was nowhere to be seen inside the water. Yamato followed, leaving Taichi to worry by himself. From the distance he could see another Obeaune, setting him off to jump in.  
  
He expected to hear the splash, but it didn't happen. Instead, it felt like going through a trap door. He didn't even feel the sensation of the water as there was none. Water bubbled surrounded him, but he could breathe easily. Some flopping fish were around, blue colored and wide-eyed. He looked ahead, finding Yamato almost out of sight. He picked up his feet to catch up.  
  
He had just come into equal step with the other archer when something approached them, ominous and quick. " Run!" Yamato shouted, " Marc!"  
  
Taichi went into a sprint with the other, and looked back at what was following them. Two dangerous eyes bore into them from what seemed to be a giant seahorse.  
  
" We're almost on the ledge. You hop on, I'll tank this beast," Yamato ordered.  
  
Taichi had imagined what the ledge would look like, but had no idea that it was actually a huge wall broken off from an ancient ruin, buried into the ground on an elevation so that there was a single entry way to it. There were about 5 other mages on it, randomly casting thunder spells on monsters below the ledge. Taichi went up to them, and none of them noticed with their concentration on their spells.  
  
He glanced around him and found Yamato running in a large circle, and now there were two Marcs after him. Taichi took his new crossbow and attacked like no tomorrow. And to his amazement, he didn't miss his target... ever. The mages helped Yamato out, zapping the Marcs mercilessly. The Marcs could take dozens of hits before falling, but with the ledgers, time was not so important.  
  
Once the Marcs had fallen, Yamato arrived on the ledge next to Taichi panting. " Tanking is tiring," he said, checking to see if his falcon was all right. He wondered why he bothered to check; Hawkes always kept clear overhead of danger. " Where's Sakura?"  
  
The brunette blinked, and as he turned his head his Kittyband seemed to perk up in searching. " I don't know."  
  
And as if on cue, a large falcon swooped in the ledge-killing area, followed by the female huntress. She had several Marcs and Obeaune on her tail...  
  
" Weeee!" she called out, almost laughing as the mages set out to rescue her. Taichi launched his arrows again, and the people around him just smiled.  
  
****  
  
A day of constant arrow shooting was exhausting, and Taichi probably shot more arrows that day than he had in all his years of being an archer. Merchants who risked their lives to reach the ledge made huge profits selling necessities such as arrows and healing potions. Of course, the items were a bit overpriced, but convenient for people who feared going off the ledge.  
  
Most of the mages who were located on the ledge stayed there all day as well, eating and talking when they rested. They quickly grew familiar with the three bow wielders. They were quite glad for Yamato and Sakura, who ran around gathering monsters for the ledgers. Taichi found that with every arrow he loaded, the easier it got. He easily familiarated with the crossbow, and even felt gleeful at the power of his Double Strafe.  
  
Yamato appeared at the corner of his eye, a squid like creature called a Mars and a Phen fish on his trail. He aggravated them on purpose so he could bring them to the ledgers. Although in his mind he wanted only Taichi to hit the monsters, he didn't want to risk opposing the other ledgers. It was much safer to be at peace with them...  
  
While Taichi shot the squid, Yamato failed to notice Sakura also approaching, two Marcs following. His eyes widened, the blue sparks camouflaging the scenary, and he ran faster as four monsters chased after them. There were only two mages and Taichi active on the ledge, and the monsters were taking little damage. Suddenly, Sakura stopped in her tracks and Double Strafed a Marc, luring it to herself. However, the other three monsters kept aiming for the blonde.  
  
" Shit," Taichi muttered, preparing Double Strafes to get the mess over with faster.  
  
In a few moments, the Mars squid was down, followed by the Phen. However, the Marc was being quite violent... " Ah!" The Marc knocked Yamato over, causing the blonde to resort to rolling on the ground to dodge its sharp scales.  
  
An arrow suddenly lodged itself into the Marc (they usually bounced off its tough scales), giving enough time for Yamato to scramble to his knees. He took out an arrow with lightning speed and jabbed it into the giant seahorse's eye. It was disgusting, yes, but years of experience taught him that it was the most efficient weak spot to hit. He had had to use this up close arrow-to-eye method several times, but it had saved saved his life that many times as well.  
  
He got up and backed off just in time for one of the mage's Thunderbolt attacks to finish it off. Panting, he struggled to walk up the hill leading back to the ledge. He joined Taichi's side, and watched as Sakura finished off her Marc with a snare trap. That was her skill as a Hunter, to be able to master traps, but Yamato found it interesting that she didn't use them more often.  
  
But no matter to that now... Yamato was exhausted, and so was Taichi. Sakura noticed it as she looked up at the two yawning in sync on the ledge, smiling knowingly. " Hey, guys," she called, " Take a nap. The other mages can take over while you're out, right?"  
  
A couple of them gave her a silent thumbs up and wink, and she set out to herd more monsters in.  
  
Yamato and Taichi sat at the end of the ledge where they could be protected easily. Yamato took off his gloves again, then looked at Taichi.  
  
" Do you ever take your gloves off?" Yamato asked.  
  
Taichi took a big breath, showing his fatigue. " Not really."  
  
" You should," Yamato said, " The skin in there needs to breathe once in a while. It's better for arrow handling."  
  
Taichi just sat there dumbly, causing Yamato to smile pathetically. It seemed he could fall asleep at any sudden moment. " Come on, Taichi. I'll do it for you, newbie."  
  
" I'm not a newbie," he pouted, too tired to really argue it. Even so, he let Yamato take his gloves off for him.  
  
As the blonde's hand wandered onto Taichi's, he hesitated. The two looked at each other in wonder. Somehow, subconsciously, they decided not to say anything and simply lean on each other as they relaxed into slumber...  
  
****  
  
Yamato awoke before Taichi, realizing his angelband was twitching again. Behind he could feel Taichi's smooth breathing as he slept, crossbow in his lap. Yamato glanced back, noting that Taichi looked rather cute...  
  
Zapping in the distance brought him out of his thoughts, and Yamato went to inspect what was happening. Sakura was sitting between the mages, looking quite tired.  
  
" Hey, Yamato, you're awake," she said, giving a small wave. " There's a little party gang hanging out here so I didn't want to butt in with my herding... and I need rest. Haha."  
  
" A party?"  
  
" Yes, there's a couple knights and an assassin. Personally I think it's a horrible combo since an assassin will need a priest with them in places like this..."  
  
' Priest...' Yamato repeated in thought. ' Even if Taichi's mother is revived, Taichi has already become involved...'  
  
He looked behind him, checking to see if his apprentice was still okay. However, at that moment, he didn't seem like simply an apprentice. His appearance held the same value as Yamato's, as an equal. Yamato was unused to being around someone who was so similar, yet so different. A fellow archer, with a sense of adventure and courage... his thoughts were interrupted when an assassin made his way right on the ledge... with three Marcs following him. Yeah... that was strange and funny... until the assassin went into hiding.  
  
Sakura instantly sat up and shouted " What the hell are you doing?!?" In a quick movement, she brought three devices from her supply bag and set them on the ground. The devices snapped up on the Marcs, holding them in place. Sakura's falcon let out a cry of attack and fiercely jabbed at the monsters. Sakura and the mages frantically attacked the Marcs. Taichi lifted his eyelids from the noise, taking a deep inhale as he saw the scene. Yamato caught him by the waist and brought him behind.  
  
Taichi had a look of shock, whether it was from the Marcs or how protective Yamato was being, Yamato couldn't tell...  
  
Two Marcs were killed off before the third set itself free from Sakura's trap. The Marc shoved past the mages and the female hunter...  
  
" Yamato!"  
  
Both Taichi and Yamato shot it like crazy, trying to hold it back. " Taichi, stay back! You're too weak to stand up to it."  
  
Taichi set his bow down and groaned, completely dumping the situation. " What?!? I'm just trying to help-"  
  
At that moment, Taichi sensed something... a flash of dark purple, a masked face...  
  
The Marc finished, Yamato turned around and puffed, annoyed. " Taichi..." his eyes bugged out as he saw the brunette crouching down in pain.  
  
" Shit," Sakura cursed, sitting immediately down, her energy worn out. " That assassin purposely tried to kill us... Why..."  
  
Yamato ran up to Taichi and inspected him. It wasn't hard to recognize... " He's been poisoned. Damn, I wish I had a green herb..."  
  
" Send your falcon out to find one," Sakura suggested. Her calmness indicated she had dealt with the situation before. " Here, I'll send Birdie to show it where to find the green plants."  
  
" Birdie? What a strange name..."  
  
Yamato jerked his head to the source of the voice. " Taichi, save your energy..."  
  
Sakura's falcon took one large flap and cry. Yamato gave Hawkes a nod, and they flew off in the strange waterland.  
  
Taichi cringed, lying down on his side. He yelled out as the poison seeped into him further. Yamato kneeled down and felt his forehead. " Fever..." Taichi seemed to stop suffering all of a sudden, but was exhausted instead.  
  
Yamato felt guilt welling inside him as he didn't think there was anything else he could do for him, even though it was his fault. ' I stopped watching over him...'  
  
Spur of the moment, Taichi's hand moved onto Yamato's knee. He looked up at the blonde, and said in a somewhat hoarse voice. " Will you hold me, Yama?"  
  
Yamato gaped for a glimpsing second. Did he really say that? Is that what he wanted? ' I guess it's the most I can do right now...' He lifted Taichi's arms to bring him closer. Like a small child holding onto a teddy bear, Taichi wrapped his arms around Yamato and shook in pain.  
  
" I'm sorry, Taichi," Yamato said, sincerely as possible. ' Why is it that Taichi is the only one who I've been honest to...'  
  
" It's not your fault, Yama... it would've happened anyway... that's fate."  
  
" Fate..." that word made Yamato almost queasy for whatever reason he did not know. He continued to hold the brunette, surprising himself as he found out he enjoyed the feeling of Taichi in his arms.  
  
' This is not a time for feelings...'  
  
Several minutes later, the falcons returned; Hawkes had a small green object in his talons. Taichi consumed the herbs like dried seaweed, then fell asleep in Yamato's lap.  
  
But before falling asleep, everyone knew he would be all right. The assassin failed his mission, no one had died. And through this Taichi gave Yamato a smile, showing his happiness for his surroundings, before going into slumber. That smile sent a shiver that Yamato could recognize only as... love. And as Yamato took hold of Taichi's ungloved hand in his own, he wondered...  
  
****  
  
Please review? ^^  
  
Splash  
  
http://gottaito.cjb.net 


	4. Belong

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 4: Belong  
****  
  
Lady Moon: I hope you didn't lose anything in your review because the cartman smiley cuts off the rest of the work, since FF.N thinks it's HTML. T_T Sakura's partially a main character, but she won't be hanging around Taichi and Yamato all the time, and she'll become more of a comical relief, kind of... o.o; She's powerful but not all powerful, basically following the sidelines of my own character on cRO. The powerful ones in this chapter, on the other hand... we can all dislike them together!  
  
The Takouji in this chapter hints at lime but I don't know how many people want to see it, and I haven't done one yet... @_@;  
  
The patio mentioned in this chapter, it's pretty pretty (copy/paste, fateback doesn't allow offsite linking): takouji.fateback.com/Ragnarok/Hunterism01.jpg  
  
****  
  
~One misplaced grain of sand can topple a mountain, but the regret will be met in opposite proportions~  
  
****  
  
" Well, we made it to Prontera. Now what?"  
  
Takuya was a little too dazed to hear what Kouji had to say, and kept walking through the crowds to see everything. Kouji sighed as he found himself having to follow the boy constantly.  
  
Finally, they arrived at the fountain in the middle of the city, and they settled on one of the benches surrounding it. The scenary was lush and beautiful, but there was a strange bundle of people ruining it, looking as if they were preparing to kill someone. Kouji sat closer to Takuya, unsure of his surroundings.  
  
One of the Swordsmen in the group approached them.  
  
" You thieves look fit enough to join us. Come on!"  
  
" Huh?" the two said in sync.  
  
" We're going to Geffen Dungeon. We've been ordered to organize a party to control the Poison Spore invasions in the tower. We have Mages, Acolytes, Archers, Merchants, the works. You guys will complete the set. Let's go."  
  
Confused, Takuya just let the Swordsman drag him away into the group of foreign people. A spark of possessiveness ran through Kouji, and he stood up and followed the swordsman's tracks. The swordsman stopped in front of a male Acolyte. The acolyte introduced himself, the first person to actually do so. He had medium length black hair and strangely blue eyes like Kouji. The low tone in his voice was similar as well.  
  
His name was Kouichi.  
  
" Peculiar..." was Kouji's first response. He had never seen anyone who had the same features he did. Even what memory he had of his parents... they didn't have the same colored eyes as this stranger. He was sitting down in his ivory robes, hands clasped neatly on his lap. He wore a biretta hat, a common symbol of the Acolyte class.  
  
After some chatter in the group, Kouichi stood up. " Warp to Geffen! Everyone follow into the portal before it closes." He focused his powers on the person nearest him, which happened to be Takuya. In one hand he held a blue gemstone. The gemstone levitated out of his hands, glowed and disappeared. A pillar of white light surrounded Takuya, and before he knew it he was gone.  
  
Kouji followed, wanting to know where Takuya went. As he stepped into the portal, he felt his head getting lighter, his ponytail defying gravity. The sensation didn't last long, and a moment later he found himself pressed against Takuya's back.  
  
" Whoa..." Takuya said, although he was referring more to the new surroundings than was what was behind him. Geffen town was empty, hauntingly so. Everything was a pale gray, brick material with patches of vegetation here and there.  
  
Kouji took the opportunity and wrapped his arms around Takuya, similar to what Takuya did not long ago.  
  
" Takuya, I'm not liking this, and I don't think it's going to get better," Kouji said, hanging on for that sense of security.  
  
" Kouji, relax. We're just finding new places to explore! Don't you find this exciting?"  
  
Kouji didn't say anything, although he wanted to. He couldn't find the right words to say, but the concept of what he wanted to get out was there. He just couldn't...  
  
All of a sudden, the couple was pushed forward from a weight behind. Takuya almost fell over, but Kouji's hold kept him in place. They moved to the side as other people appeared in the warp point.  
  
They stood around, disorganized, near the benches surrounding the area. Finally, the male Acolyte appeared and gathered everyone's attention.  
  
" The townspeople have already taken refuge in their homes, so we're free to go straight in and slaughter Poison Spore," Kouichi said.  
  
The group followed the acolyte into the center of the small town, and some of the mages took the opportunity to talk about this place, their homeland, like tourist guides. " And in this corner shop you can find many wands to raise those magic powers, wooo..."  
  
" My Wand of Occult is stronger than your Arc Wand..."  
  
" It's a Dexterous Arc Wand for God's sake... I can cast spells faster with this baby..."  
  
There was a tall tower in the centre, the same light gray as the other buildings. " Inside this tower," Kouichi announced, " is going to be a challenge of endurance. We have to keep these Poison Spores away from the townspeople until backup parties arrive."  
  
The moment they stepped inside, they were overwhelmed by the boinging sound of the large purple mushrooms. They had innocent faces, these monsters, but their spikes spoiled their appearance.  
  
" Let's get going!" a rather plump wizard declared. Several Swordsmen stepped forward to face the Poison Spores head on and the mages, including the wizard, cast spells on the distracted monsters. There were two female archers with them... one of them pushed the two thieves ahead. " Hey thieves, get up there and tank!"  
  
Takuya and Kouji looked back at the girl, annoyed, but she just grinned righteously. " Nobody disagrees with Izumi the archer. Don't worry, we're here to watch your back."  
  
Takuya and Kouji now looked at each other meticulously before approaching some Poison Spores who had been unoccupied. Kouji raised his Damascus and slashed across a Poison Spore's face, standing quite tall. It winced in utter pain. These monsters were a joke...  
  
All of a sudden a flash of spikes went toward his direction, but Kouji dodged. Another Poison Spore was ramming its head in his general direction. Although they were slow and had bad aim, those spikes looked deadly...  
  
Takuya stepped in to help, warding away the Poison Spore that was attacking Kouji. He slashed its spikes off in anger, then stabbed it in the face. " Nobody touches my Kouji."  
  
Kouji looked back at him and blushed, although glad to know Takuya was there for him. Another couple of Poison Spores came after them, but they had only come a foot nearer before arrows slaughtered them. Behind them, the two female archers waved, giggling.  
  
Kouichi was nearby, healing a wounded Swordsmen. After the swordsmen went into battle again, he placed his hands together and shouted, " Blessing!" The dark haired boy became shrouded in a sky blue light, which quickly disappeared. He pulled out a rather dangerous looking mace from his side-belt and proceeded to whack Poison Spores with the swordsmen.  
  
****  
  
Takuya and Kouji continued to slaughter oncoming Poison Spores for 3 endless hours. The work wasn't too hard, but troublesome. Kouichi's healing powers allowed the party members to stay juvenated in their battle, so the other members watched over him carefully. They were finally allowed to take a break when the lead swordsmen made the order. Several smaller groups of fighters had entered the premesis at long last. Takuya and Kouji's group stepped out of Geffen Tower and sat around the "lounge" before what was now a dungeon.  
  
Takuya and Kouji staked their private area from the other classmen near a wall. They sat down, Takuya immediately yawning. " Told you it would be an adventure, Kouji. It feels so nice to know that we're protecting people," the goggled one said.  
  
" Yes, but what is the point of all this? Do people here come only to control these monsters from overpopulating and terrorizing the townsfolk, or what?"  
  
A mage nearby heard them, and politely offered to explain. He was a small boy for a magic user, his robes lined in green. He was intelligent to the extent where it seemed he was as old as Takuya or Kouji. He told them of the search for Ymir, the strange occurences and of the prospected Ragnarok. But... another person from the group went up to the green-clothed one.  
  
" Tomoki, you should know better than to be socializing with thieves," the newcomer said, trying to ward him away. His golden yellow lined robes were much fancier than the little mage's.  
  
" Hey, we're not going to steal from you, if that's what you're thinking," Takuya said in defense.  
  
" Not like we'd be interested in your crap anyway..." Kouji added calmly, in the midst of cleaning his Damascus.  
  
A blue glowing arose from the other's hand, immediately causing Kouji to regret his actions. He had little defense against magic...  
  
" Cut it out, Junpei," the lead swordsman called from the other side of the room. " Don't pick on people just becuase you're the only advanced class in our group."  
  
The blue magic withered away at the command, although hesitantly. " Che," Junpei muttered, swinging his robes as he stalked off.  
  
" Don't mind him, a thief robbed him of almost everything not long ago. His rare Bone Wand was taken. People in this world assume that all wizards are too rich..." little Tomoki ran off after that to console his older friend.  
  
Takuya had a look of guilt, as if he was the one to blame for Junpei's loss. Kouji sympathized with him, carefully placing an arm around Takuya's back. " You shouldn't let that get you down, Takuya. We've never taken anything of high value, and only from truly rich braggarts."  
  
" Yeah, we're like... Robin Hood," Takuya added, leaning on Kouji's shoulder, dozing off. Kouji was tired as well, and the two fell asleep at the dungeon's waiting room... as the other classmen chattered quietly, as the battle continued inside the dungeon, as the world turned around them...  
  
****  
  
" I did it!" a shouting voice woke them up. The first thing they saw the little mage... who was no longer a mage. Tomoki wore new robes similar to Junpei's, although they were green instead. " I'm a wizard now! Wahoo!"  
  
He urged everyone into the dungeon so he could show off his new power. Takuya and Kouji watched sleepily as a Poison Spore immediately came up to them. Tomoki shouted "Cold Bolt!" and out of his he shot two small icicle-like objects. It was barely visible, however, for within the next second it hit dead on the Poison Spore and knocked it out solidly.  
  
" Let's go to the next level, I can't display much here. It'd be such a waste," Tomoki said. " Let's beat up those gigantic spiders everyone in Geffen's afraid of."  
  
" Hey," Kouichi suggested, " There's a second class party that needs some accompanying through the second level of this tower. We can be that party."  
  
" All right! Let's go," Tomoki said excitedly.  
  
The swordsman who had previously dragged Takuya into the party earlier dragged him up once again, following the rest of the party through the dungeon. Kouji snarled, almost more annoyed that Takuya was allowing him to be dragged along more than at the swordsman.  
  
They blew past crowds of Poison Spores with Tomoki jumping every monster in sight. Eventually they found the second class party, which consisted of only a single Knight, another Wizard and a Blacksmith.  
  
" This is it?" Junpei said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
" Most of our members aren't with us," the female of the second party said, brushing some dust off her Wizard robes.  
  
" We've received news that you wanted another party to accompany you through the second level of Geffen Tower? We would like to help," Kouichi said courteously.  
  
The Knight turned his mouth to one side. " Actually we were asking if any first class parties wanted a tour of the second level. WE'RE the ones helping."  
  
The Knight was sitting on a PecoPeco, which was silenced by the muzzle on its beak. It was common for Knights to tame PecoPeco for transportation. " So are you guys still coming?"  
  
Tomoki nodded enthusiastically, unphased by their words. " Yeah!" he answered for the party. Not an extra word was said as they continued onto the next level, since nobody wanted to verbally refuse. Except...  
  
" So, basically we just hold off the little guys while the second classers kick butt. Perfect." Kouji muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
" Yep," Tomoki replied, ignorant of Kouji's mood.  
  
" Aie..."  
  
The leader of the coalition party was the Knight, named Sefirot. He was a proud spear using knight, and while he attacked slower than sword-using knights his attacks were much more powerful. He had a habit of smirking vainly, which was quite apparent as he introduced himself to the first class party.  
  
" I'm not going to attack most of the Whisper ghosts, so archers with Silver holy arrows or magic users are free to jump them," Sefirot said quickly before going down the stairs to the next level.  
  
" Hey guys," Kouichi said, holding back the first class party, " If you guys want to back off after we get past the next level, I'll make a warp portal back to Prontera or Payon. I'd recommend this for the thieves and swordsmen, since the elemental users are best fit in the deep levels."  
  
Takuya nodded, and Kouji silently felt gratitude. He was pretty tired of this place. They went down the stairs to be faced with the Knight with three ghosts on him.  
  
Izumi and the other archers killed the ghosts rather quickly, and Sefirot immediately rode ahead. The party struggled to catch up with his PecoPeco, and couldn't help but fear the giant spiders they noticed closing in on them.  
  
" Um, Sefirot," Junpei said... but the knight didn't hear him. While a nearby swordsmen guarded himself from the of the monsters, Junpei slew a large ball of thunder under it, then quirked when three other monsters took its place.  
  
" Argos!" It's an Argos mob!" someone shouted, who knows who. The first class party did an all out attack on the spiders, with Junpei and Tomoki assisting. As Takuya and Kouji went up to face one, an arrow hindered it, and Takuya could see the venomous orange hairs on its abdomen and sickly rotating eyes.  
  
They viciously cut up the oversized monsters (Tomoki was having a blast), but Sefirot was long gone by then. " Can't the guy just WAIT a little?" Takuya growled.  
  
All of them ran in the general direction of where the Knight was last seen, but couldn't find him again.  
  
" Damn, we completely lost him..." said Kouichi, his Buckler shield holding the souvenir of cobwebs from an Argos. Even the Wizard and Blacksmith from the second class party were lost. They did manage to find Sefirot eventually, but he had at least five Argos on him. The first class started to help him, but then...  
  
" Spear Brandish!" Sefirot's spear gave a flash of radioactive green, puncturing every monster... and killing every single one of them.  
  
" Hemph, you guys didn't need to help," Sefirot said, instantly going through his path again. " I had it under control."  
  
No one in the first class party said anything, but Tomoki noted that they had reached the third level entrance.  
  
" We won't need any of you guys up here, but you're more than welcome to commit suicide if you want to join us," Sefirot said as he twirled the cobwebs off his spear. Without another word of warning, he stormed ahead, making the female wizard and the blacksmith to trail behind.  
  
" That's it... if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna show that we're better than that Sefirot guy..." Takuya said, clenching his fists, " Just you wait..."  
  
" Takuya..." Kouji said, worried.  
  
" I hate him, too," Kouichi admitted, " he orders Acolytes and Priests to heal him when he's low on health even though he recovers quickly, but he won't admit his weaknesses. Some Priests have the ability to solo well in these dungeons, but he thinks they're all weak. Worse yet, he tries to 'help' them without asking if they need it first. It's his silly prideful duty... he thinks all Acolytes and Priests need 'protection.'"  
  
A couple of Poison Spores made their way toward the trio. Takuya's anger continued to well inside him, and he found the mushrooms' presence as a source of release. He lunged at them to relieve his stress. He completely annihilated them in one blow.  
  
Kouichi gawked, impressed. " If you guys are at the same level of fighting ability, you could duo up in Payon Dungeon. They really need people there."  
  
" Payon?" Takuya chimed, his mood swinging from contained anger to his usual cheerfulness.  
  
" I can make a warp portal to Payon town for you if you need it."  
  
" That would be great, Kouichi."  
  
" Wait a second, Takuya," Kouji interrupted, holding onto Takuya's shoulder, " Are you sure about this?"  
  
Takuya gave him a smile. " No need to worry, I bet together we're better than that Sefirot Knight. We've got to let everyone know that!"  
  
" Free ride this time, guys," Kouichi commented, pulling out a Blue Gemstone. " Otherwise I charge 1000z for every warp. Have fun, guys."  
  
" Wait. I'm not so positive about this..."  
  
Kouichi and Takuya both looked at Kouji in query. Kouji pulled on the back of his bandana idly, looking between the two boys. Why was he getting such a bad feeling about Payon?  
  
Takuya had a pleading face, one of the few things Kouji had trouble resisting. Kouichi was calm and complacent, unusually so. While he was a stranger to Kouji, it seemed as if there was something more... or perhaps it was just the overal dark aura around him that made other people seem similar, or... he was confusing himself. He needed to get out of the stuffy tower...  
  
" Nevermind. Let's go to Payon, Takuya."  
  
****  
  
The HUGE ancient Chinese-style buildings in Payon were amazing sights. There was a peaceful aura surrounding the town, probably from the old fashioned fire lamps that were used to light the town at night. Speaking of which, there was a celebration in the middle of the town they could hear upon their entrance into the town. They were surrounded by townsfolk who didn't find it unusual to see them pop out of nowhere. Warps were a common sight nowadays...  
  
" What's going on here?" Takuya asked no one in particular.  
  
A middle-aged woman at their side answered. " Today's the opening day of the Falconry Festival. Falcon Hunters from all over the world join together in Payon to celebrate all week long, and every night this week they show off their talents. Oooh, look at that!"  
  
She pointed high in the dark sky above them, " Those three falcons are flying in sync!"  
  
Takuya and Kouji looked up just in time for the falcons to swoop down at them. Takuya was frightened for a moment, shuffling closer to Kouji, but laughed as the birds swung by.  
  
The brunette smiled at his thief comrade. " Shall we check this out tonight, Kouji?"  
  
Kouji watched the falcons flying toward the center of town, and smiled himself. " I'd like that."  
  
In high spirit, Takuya bounced ahead to get a better look at the show. Several falcons were flying around randomly with ribbons on their talons, others with different sorts of glowing ornaments. They were like giant fireflies in the night sky, catching the attention of many audience members. There were tables and tables full of Hunters, chatting casually and gaily. Tables full of free food covered various areas of the festival, awaiting any hungry people. Takuya and Kouji helped themselves to the food, watching the falconry show as they ate. The Hunters near them were engaged in a rather heated topic (at least to them).  
  
" Ah, I just train my falcon, let him own everything. Falcons know how to get past defense more than our arrows."  
  
" You can't be completely dependent on it, there are a lot of monsters that can't be hit with physical attacks, and when your elemental arrow attacks are weak, what will you do?"  
  
" There aren't THAT many physical-resistant monsters..."  
  
" Well, have fun getting a Whisper card. If you can hunt them, they cost 20 million zeny... that years to earn. And then you have to find someone who is actually willing to SELL it. They're too useful..."  
  
" Oh, I can get that in a few months..."  
  
Feeling overwhelmed by the numbers, the two thieves wandered away from the Hunters and away from the festive crowd. There was a Chinese style patio across a small strip of land hovering over the river circling the town. Surprisingly, there was no one else on it, which was a shame; the view was beautiful at night. The river seemed to flow as the reflections from the five lights hit off the surface of the water.  
  
Takuya and Kouji took a seat at the tip of the patio to look at the festival from a distance, enjoying the scenary. The aqua blue aura enveloping the patio comforted them, and even more as Takuya sat back against Kouji. Kouji put his arms around the brunette, sighing in contentment.  
  
Kouji wanted to curse Takuya's curiousity at most times, but he had to admit this time his curiousity had nice results so far...  
  
They stayed at the patio for what seemed like hours as the festival passed on all throughout the night. Eventually the boys could barely keep their eyes open, so they wandered the town for a place to rest. One of the traditional buildings was an inexpensive hotel, of which the boys were given kind hospitality.  
  
****  
  
Kouji was the first to wake up, a small smile developing as he saw Takuya in his arms. He enjoyed these miniscule moments with the other boy, just being with him in the flesh.  
  
He peered around the room they were staying in, taking memory of the heavenly sheets and surroundings. He didn't quite understand why Takuya was so worked up about proving himself strong. Was Kouji of less value? Did Takuya not consider his feelings at any priority?  
  
" Damn," he muttered, feeling a sickness in his stomach. He held onto Takuya tighter, savoring his pure moments of security.  
  
The other shuffled in his hold, blinking his eyes open.  
  
" Morning, Kouji," he greeted sleepily, smiling into Kouji's chest. " I can't wait to start whacking those Munak. I wonder what they're like..."  
  
Kouji sighed, his eyes nearly hitting the back of his head. Fed up, he lurched forward an planted his mouth on Takuya's. Takuya jerked in surprise, but was soon overwhelmed by Kouji's passion. He kissed back lightly, but Kouji kept pushing, as if wanting more...  
  
The darker haired boy's hands wandered from Takuya's back to his bottom, Kouji squeezed once, emitting an involuntary squeak from Takuya.  
  
" K-Kouji..."  
  
Their breathing grew deeper together as Kouji continued his minstruations, but Takuya couldn't help but have his mind wander. ' I just woke up...'  
  
" Kouji, please..."  
  
Kouji slid his hand beneath the material of Takuya's pants, responding to the plead. His breath heated in anticipation...  
  
" Don't..."  
  
Kouji stopped his movements halfway, suddenly confused. He gazed long and thoroughly at Takuya. The brunette didn't look back, and something inside Kouji gave out. He leaped out of the bed and clutched his ribcage right beneath his heart. Takuya shot up and tried to go up to him, but Kouji cried out, pushing him back on the bed.  
  
Kouji dashed out of the room before Takuya could stop him. The brunette was still dazed and sleepy, however. He just plopped back onto the bed and fell asleep, completely unaware of what he had just done...  
  
****  
  
For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to cry as he ran aimlessly. He ignored the trees on either side of him, he didn't admire the traditional Chinese buildings he passed. No, why confide in such lifeless things when you doubted your own life...  
  
The only thing he could feel was his insides piercing his skin as his emotions tore apart. Was leaving Morroc supposed to make him this lonely? If only he hadn't returned Takuya's affection when he proposed to leave...  
  
He came across a large gathering of people, each one looking more like a stranger than the next person. A heavily clothed Swordsman charming a female Acolyte, a stout Merchant selling supplies to a crowd of Archers, more Swordsmen...  
  
He wasn't used to these sights, and couldn't figure out why he couldn't embrace them, these new enlightments. Or perhaps he did know, but he didn't want to accept it... He cursed to himself, attracting the attention of some passerbys. He paid no heem of them and arrived at a desolate cave gap bordering the city. Desiring the isolation, he stepped inside.  
  
He growled as he saw numerous people slaughtering monsters inside. He didn't want this at all... it only reminded him of the dull Geffen tower. He ran past all of the fighters, all of the zombies, all of the snakes, the bats... farther and farther. Even the sight of the giant over-easy eggs holding frying pans didn't amuse him. Finally, he found a lonely crack in the dark cave, absolutely no one else around.  
  
Catching his breath, he stared at the peculiar torch lighting the gap he had chosen. He wasn't concentrating on the torch, however, but found it hard to focus his eyes at all. He wanted to shout out in frustration or burst into tears, but he couldn't... Instead, he crouched down to a pathetic fetal position, putting his head between his knees. He just stared blankly, wondering where his place in life was when Takuya didn't seem to be the answer... If he wasn't needed, why was he being a burden?  
  
All of a sudden, he felt an incredible warmth, causing him to immediately stand up. He was covered in a strange glowing green light. As he turned around, he nearly had a heart attack when he saw an arrowhead meet his nosetip. It disintegrated as it passed through the radioactive green substance, leaving him unharmed.  
  
When the green substance faded away, he saw a skeleton in front of him with ragged clothes and an ancient bow in its bone hands. It was obviously hostile as it raised an arrow to the bow and aimed it at Kouji...  
  
Out of no where, the skeleton collapsed from the rib bones and clattered on the floor. It was as if something had imploded from its insides. What was THAT all about?  
  
" I thought I'd find you here, Kouji," a voice came from the depths of the caves. " Careful of those archer skeletons, they're extremely difficult to dodge."  
  
Kouji adjusted his bandana and looked around him, but couldn't find anyone around him.  
  
" But I didn't expect you to be alone... where is Takuya?" The voice was so familiar...  
  
" Takuya..." the mention of the name made him wince slightly as his insides pained. " I ran from him..."  
  
There was a strong silence, allowing more emotions to churn through Kouji. Then he spotted a hint of yellow ahead of him. A light of flame, flickering in the distance. He could only gaze at it, and the voice spoke...  
  
" My pneuma spell disables long-distance attacks, that was what saved you. As long as you're here with me, how about we partner up? I can help you in many ways."  
  
Kouji turned around again, trying to follow the voice. " What ways...?" Even in his situation, he felt somewhat irritated to be considered in need of help.  
  
Abruptly, arms coiled around his waist, and Kouji felt more solemn when his first instinct was Takuya... but it definitely wasn't Takuya...  
  
" Many ways... many ways, Kouji."  
  
Now the voice was clear, and he knew who it was...  
  
" Kouichi?"  
  
Kouji was forced to turned around to meet face to face with the one he estimated to be the Acolyte he had met in Geffen. However, there was something different about Kouichi's eyes. He seemed to have exchanged a certain sparkle for a different one, but Kouji thought it was just the lighting in the cave. The Acolyte also wasn't wearing his biretta hat...  
  
His thoughts were cut off when Kouichi tottered forward-- it was like déjà vu from something before... Kouichi's hand moved from the ponytailed boy's waist to his shoulders. In a ghost-like movement he caught Kouji's eyes, almost trapping him. And then Kouji finally noticed... Kouichi was kissing him...  
  
Kouichi closed his eyes, a strange flare of passion in his movements. Kouji could do nothing but give in, his emotional state already tarnished...  
  
Kouji shut his eyes, and suddenly the whole world seemed to turn upside down. His last desire was simply being in Takuya's arms... of Takuya wanting him, loving him...  
  
A flashing image of the one he fell in love with appeared in his mind before it distorted into oblivion.  
  
****  
  
*waves hands frantically* I'm not making Kouichi out as a bad guy, seriously!!! There is explaining to come if thou reviewith. Gah, I dun like doing papers on Shakespeare... I have to do 5 for the Tempest, one for every act. X_X;  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	5. I can't sleep

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 5: I can't sleep...  
****  
  
This is a pretty long chapter to make up for the time it took to post up. Naw, actually it just had to be this long. Time to start tying the Taito and Takouji together... */gg*  
  
Ragnarok Online doesn't really have much of a plot, so a lot of this I have to make up. ^^  
  
Thanks to Lady Moon, Darcy 335, Niko, Jen Minamoto, The One With Hope, KAWAIIROXY and Dark_Fox for reviewing the previous chapter! =3  
  
Quick note: Priest is an advanced class of the Acolyte, Assassin is an advanced class of the Thief.  
  
****  
  
~Animals, humans, what is the difference? The lessons are all the same in the end~  
  
****  
  
A nighttime passed underground where Taichi layed in Yamato's protective arms. By now, Taichi's breathing had grown even and steady, showing that the green herbs were working well. Hawkes was dozing next to the much larger Birdie somewhere farther on the ledge, Sakura beside them. A female magician had joined the other ledgers, but she had the courage to go out and lure monsters for them.  
  
Yamato had closed his eyes not long after Taichi, leaning on the wall at the far corner of the ledge. When he opened his eyes after an enduring time, he found Taichi clinging casually on his sides in his sleep. This forced Yamato to continuously blush, much to Sakura's amusement.  
  
" You guys should be fine without me, especially with you around, Yamato-kun," Sakura said, getting up from her resting spot.  
  
Yamato blushed deeper at the compliment, but said his thanks as Sakura pulled off a small set of mechanical butterfly wings from her arrow case holder. " You're not going to stay?" the blonde asked.  
  
" Nope, I can't stay in any dungeon too long... I lose interest quickly."  
  
The blonde frowned a little, mystified by her philosophy. " Whatever floats your boat. All right, see you, Sakura."  
  
She smiled, smashing her bottom lip against her top lip to imitate a Poring's face. She pressed a button on the small butterfly wings, and it expanded to huge purple wings that enveloped her. At last moment, she grabbed Birdie by the large feathers on her head, much to the falcon's disgruntlement. Completely surrounded by the wings, the wings flashed white and instantly vanished.  
  
Yamato closed his eyes again, smiling at the thought of meeting new people for the first time in a long while. He thought of Taichi once more, wondering if they would be good partners in the end... First, he had wanted to rid of the apprentice as soon as possible, but now he was having doubts...  
  
When Taichi awoke, he was absolutely energetic, quite more so than previously noted.  
  
" We only have a few hundred arrows left so we'll have to resurface soon, but I guess we should use them up."  
  
Yamato joined the brunette in sniping monsters off the ledge, not even bothering to say hello to the ledgers. Taichi greeted them happily, but he couldn't help noticing that Yamato kept to himself...  
  
" You're mastering that crossbow exceptionally quickly. I bet we could duo up in a dungeon..." Yamato said casually, his eyes focused in the ledging range.  
  
Taichi stopped shooting and looked at the blonde. It seemed like Yamato was hiding something, by the way he avoided his gaze, but he had no idea what he could possibly be hiding...  
  
Several hordes of monsters were gone in a flash with Taichi's new ease of shooting arrows. The two Archers packed their stuff, and Yamato beckoned Taichi to come over. " To save money we'll both use one butterfly wing."  
  
Yamato brought out a device that looked exactly like the one Sakura used. " Taichi, come closer. The wings don't spread out far."  
  
Taichi stepped forward once. Yamato sighed, then brought an arm around Taichi. The blonde pulled the other close to him. Yamato struggled not to blush at the heat, then pressed the activation button on the butterfly. It expanded and surrounded the two boys and Hawkes (who was still asleep), and they left the island where Taichi learned lessons for the future...  
  
****  
  
" I saw your improvements in there, Taichi. You ARE a fast learner."  
  
The butterfly wing had taken them all the way back to Payon.  
  
" I thought we weren't going back here for a long time," Taichi noted.  
  
" Hmm, I thought I bought a Prontera wing, but apparently I didn't..." The more experienced Archer pondered idly. He immediately noted that the village was covered in decorations, and he quickly turned his gaze downward.  
  
" Is something wrong, Yamato?"  
  
It seemed Taichi had seen Yamato's movement, but the blonde brushed it off. " Payon is having its Falconry Festival. It's not much of an interest for me..."  
  
But Taichi had already brightened up, admiring the decorations. " Oh, I love the Falconry Festival! I bet Hawkes would be awesome in the air shows."  
  
" Yeah, he would..." Yamato said quietly. He started walking away from the decorated area, silently urging Taichi to follow. Taichi blinked, and followed him out of the vacant celebration area. There were little amounts of people outside the buildings; none of them paid heed to the two boys.  
  
Yamato entered a shop, immediately asking for loads of silver arrows. " Give me your crossbow, Taichi."  
  
Taichi pulled out the weapon he had grown accustomed to and gave it to the blonde without another word. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. An entrepreneur Merchant had opened his own miniship inside the supply store. These Merchants had unique vending carts that helped them sell their products while they slept. Yamato inserted a large vast of zeny voins into the Merchant's vending cart, and out popped a small card. Yamato took the card in one hand, and the crossbow in the other.  
  
" Critical Crossbow!" he shouted as he tapped the card on the crossbow. The card rose out of his hands and glowed, hovering for several seconds. The crossbow glowed as well but remained in his hand. In a small flash, the card disappeared, stopping the glowing altogether.  
  
" What did you just do?"  
  
Yamato handed the crossbow back to Taichi. " I compounded a Soldier Skeleton card onto your crossbow. It has room for two more, but this Merchant doesn't have any more. They're pretty hard to find."  
  
Taichi seemed to be in a daze. " Card...?"  
  
The shopowner arrived with small soap-sized packages, each labeled: 1000ea silver arrow. Yamato went to the counter to examine them, saying to Taichi, " I thought you had extensive knowledge on items, cards are items, too."  
  
" I guess I know more about the items besides cards..."  
  
Taichi drooped his head, the kitty ears on his head sulking along. Yamato instantly felt guilty for having sounded chastising. " Don't worry about it, Taichi," he said in hopes of easing the tension, " I have a book of cards you can study if you would like." Out of his pack, he pulled out a small book and gave it to the saddened brunette.  
  
Still sullen, Taichi put his crossbow down, took the book and looked down at it. He opened it to the Introduction page and read it out loud, immediately spurring nostalgia from his early learning days...  
  
" Monster cards are special objects that are used to enhance equipment. Every monster in Midgard has a card, yet chances of finding one are quite slim. Consider yourself lucky if you can find a Poring card."  
  
Yamato purchased the packages of silver arrows. Taichi already seemed to be immersed in the book, as he started to wander about the room with his face buried in the sheets. Yamato discreetly lead him out of the shop to meet up with the luscious green trees surrounding Payon. The sun was high in the sky by then, peeping through the thousands of cracks between the roof of trees. Yamato sat down at the base of one of the more appealing trees.  
  
Taichi subconsciously sat next to him, continuing to read on. While his voice seemed to drone on, Yamato could sense that he was gathering every bit of information with ease.  
  
" Strategizing with cards can be slightly confusing because of the vast variety of cards, however..."  
  
The weather was beautiful. There was a small amount of wind flowing around them, just enough to make music with the bird chirping. Hawkes stepped off of Yamato's shoulder and flew up to the trees above with some struggle (unlike smaller birds, Hawkes needed more air to fly upwards).  
  
" Currently the most effective card overall for weapons is the Soldier Skeleton card, for it aids the power of..."  
  
Yamato paused from listening to Taichi's drowning and found his gaze fixed on Taichi himself. Taichi's kittyband twitched from an irritation in the wind. His pack of supplies, which he usually carried on his side, started to fall off since his neck wasn't keeping it up.  
  
" The harder it is to obtain a card, the more powerful it is likely to be. For example, while a Wormtail card will make someone more dexterous, a Zerom card is even more..."  
  
The blonde Archer wasn't used to having a voice constantly fill his resting time, and frankly, it was getting somewhat annoying. " Taichi, I'm sure you can learn silently? I'd like to take a nap."  
  
Taichi read on. " Equipments can hold a certain number of cards depending on the equipment. The more powerful a weapon is, the less amount of cards it can hold."  
  
" Taichi..."  
  
" For example, a Gladius can hold three cards while a Damascus can hold two-"  
  
" Taichi!"  
  
Taichi finally snapped out of his reading trance.  
  
" I need to sleep."  
  
" But you were just sleeping a few hours ago!"  
  
Yamato paused, then blinked several times, looking away. " I don't really sleep... I just try..."  
  
Taichi peered at him, causing the blonde to turn his head away farther. " Don't worry about it," Yamato said, laying into a resting position. He watched Taichi go back to reading (silently), then closed his eyes, basking in the specks of sun rays.  
  
Few people passed the area of trees they were at. It's feeling of desolation was what appealed to Yamato especially. Whenever he came to Payon, he would try to spend some time at this lonely spot. Nobody asked him how he was feeling, asked for any favors, bothered the hell out of him...   
  
He knew no one in this town, or at least not anymore... until he met Taichi. His past was something only he understood. No one knew of it, and he figured no one cared. Who wanted to help him anyhow...  
  
Many minutes later, his discontented mind still kept him awake. He heard the book in Taichi's possession drop to the ground and some shuffling. " You still awake, Yamato?"  
  
He opened his eyes and almost jumped when he saw two brown chocolate eyes right in front of him.  
  
" Yamato... Have you ever disliked being alone in this world?"  
  
The question caught him completely off guard, and he stared at the brunette. When he saw a faint trace of red across Taichi's cheeks, he himself flustered, but he was too fatigued to move.  
  
" Why do you ask that?" Yamato replied, dodging the question.  
  
Taichi continued to peer at him even though they were both blushing. " I was wondering if I was a burden to you... you didn't HAVE to take me in as an apprentice."  
  
Yamato said nothing, but he stopped blushing and began thinking. He could have easily abandoned Taichi during his teachings, but he didn't. He remembered wanting to spend the rest of his life by himself because of his past experiences. But why had he not seemed to loathe Taichi's intrusion?  
  
" Have you ever wanted me to go away?" Taichi asked.  
  
The brunette was on his hands and knees, his face barely a foot away from Yamato's. His kittyband usually reacted with his facial expressions, but at that moment it remained unchanged.  
  
Yamato hesitated to answer. He had to admit, he probably was thinking something along those lines during the meeting in Prontera...however...  
  
" I haven't, Taichi," he found himself saying without consent, " Although at first I didn't want to teach because of my own values."  
  
" Are you glad that this happened? That I'm here?"  
  
Yamato's eyes snapped open like China plates, but paused when he saw how serious Taichi was. He gazed into Taichi's eyes, searching. All of a sudden, he could see his own self in those eyes, the same expression of loneliness, of sadness... He understood...  
  
He felt a great pain deep inside his chest, then tore away from their stare. " At times like this we have little time to idle away by reflecting. I need to sleep, Taichi."  
  
He couldn't stop the further pains as he saw the dismayed expression on Taichi's face. Trying to ignore them, he turned away from the brunette and closed his eyes. What were these pains in his chest...?  
  
After a moment's silence, Taichi spoke up again. " When was the last time you've fallen asleep?"  
  
Lifelessly, Yamato answered, " About 9 days..."  
  
Taichi laid still in awe, wondering how the blonde could manage to have so much strength with a lack of energy rejuvenation. Taichi pondered for a while, unknown to Yamato. " I can help you get to sleep," said the Archer apprentice.  
  
Unbelieving, Yamato mumbled. " How?"  
  
The blonde felt a whoosh behind his back. Suddenly, he felt a great warmth around him, and he turned bright red. " Tai-"  
  
Taichi breathed against Yamato's neck, spreading his heat all around him. " My mother used this to help us sleep when we were little... empathy runs in the family."  
  
By "we" Yamato knew he was referring to Hikari. He was surprised that he didn't find their position uncomfortable, but instead, pleasing...  
  
Taichi shuffled closer in, closing the gaps between them until they were like two identical spoons, stacked side by side. Yamato took a deep breath, telling himself to relax, that this was all just to help him sleep. The pains in his chest were now going crazy, a surge of feelings going through him. But what were these feelings...?  
  
His breathing grew heavy despite his attempts to calm himself. Taichi's breath on the back of his neck was soothing him to sleep.  
  
" That's nice..." he uttered without acknowledging it at first. He got nervous for a moment, shocked that he would say such a thing and afraid that Taichi had heard him. But Taichi made no comment or movement, so he just smiled and closed his eyes.. He could almost feel Taichi's drowsiness move into him...  
  
' Empathy, eh...' I wonder if he knows what this feeling is...' Yamato wondered before falling into a deep slumber.  
  
****  
  
Munaks were unique creatures. While they were quite human looking at first glance, the way they hovered in the air and made springy noises showed they certainly weren't so. In fact, they were considered to be of the Undead race, similar to Zombies that resided near the entrance to Payon Dungeon. Munaks were also female, dressed in traditional red clothes with a distinct hat that was a collector's item. However, since the monsters were undead, the chances of keeping the hat were near impossible, like many other monsters with such items.  
  
For some reason, Yamato dreamt about these monsters performing some sort of chant. He knew much about these creatures, but there was a new figure among them. It was taller than the Munaks, and while it wore similiar attire, its clothes were a deep blue...  
  
He woke up not long afterwards, his observations quickly fading into nothingness. The blonde was rarely successful at remembering his dreams, the few dreams he ever had...  
  
Noticing that he was still in Taichi's grip, he attempted to turn so that he was out of it, but only succeeded in waking up the brunette. He grumbled as he aroused, taking one of the arms that was previously around Yamato to rub his eyes. Without opening his eyes, he put his arms back around Yamato, much to the other's surprise.  
  
" Taichi? I'm awake now..." he said in the still air.  
  
" Hmm?" Taichi opened his eyes quite suddenly, as if his sleepy mood had a sudden errand to execute. " Hello, Yamato."  
  
Yamato raised himself out of Taichi's hold and stood up, brushing the debri off his clothes. Much to his surprise, Taichi had made a sound that seemed an awful like whining when he did that...  
  
But when he looked down at the brunette, the apprentice simply rolled over on his back and put his arms behind his head.  
  
" Do you feel better, Yamato?" he said, smiling.  
  
The other blushed, an answer failing him as he looked at Taichi. Hawkes flew down from the limb above them and began to preen himself. This snapped Yamato out of his mini-trance, and he replied, " Yes. Shall we proceed to Payon Dungeon now?"  
  
They walked over to the caves nearby. The sun was in the afternoon phase at the moment, and the area was filled with people visiting for the Falconry Festival. Yamato tried to hurry past them, but Taichi lagged behind...  
  
" What's that little sparrow doing here?" One of the Hunters loitering against the cave wall noted. " Hey, blondie, who are you? I don't remember seeing you around here..."  
  
He was a tall, green-haired man with short hair that frilled out at his sides. There were several other Hunters with him, and all of their falcons were full-sized and fierce-looking.  
  
" I don't come here often," Yamato answered calmly. He attempted to walk past them, but one of the Hunters and his falcon deliberately blocked his way, a smirk on their expression. Yamato's expression didn't change, much to the taller man's dismay.  
  
" Don't you know that the Falconry Festival is in town? Why isn't your falcon in it?" the green-haired one continued. Yamato remained silent, patiently waiting for the Hunters to stop blocking their way. Taichi just watched, confused.  
  
" Oh, wait, I know you..." another Hunter chimed. " You're the natural Hunter who got kicked out because you weren't actually a Hunter! Haha, and you STILL aren't!"  
  
Finally, Yamato's expression changed to one of a growl, and his falcon seemed to do the same. He didn't want to be reminded...  
  
" Yamato, you were in the Falconry Festival?" Taichi said innocently.  
  
" I don't want to discuss it. Let's go," Yamato snarled, shoving past the Hunter, who backed out in surprise. The Hunter's falcon cowered in a similar way. Taichi followed along, unsure of what was happening, but not wanting to disobey Yamato.  
  
They walked in silence for several minutes, ignoring the parties of people slaughtering zombies and bats. When Yamato came across a large over-easy egg carrying a frying pan, he snapped like a dragon. He Double Strafed it with the fury of the Vagabond Wolf, and his falcon seemed to catch the same blaze. The egg made a strange chirping itself as it dissipated into nothingness.  
  
" Yamato... are you all right?" Taichi asked, awing at the amount of power Yamato just displayed.  
  
" Yeah," he answered gruffly, power-walking the path through the cave. He didn't want Taichi to know about that shameful part of his past... at least not yet. He flinced slightly at that... since when did he consider telling Taichi more than he needed to know? Why would he want to confide such information for Taichi? What was he expecting from Taichi? He was confusing himself...  
  
" We're going to beat up Munaks."  
  
" Okay..."   
  
" Munaks are one of the many creatures that have turned aggressive recently," Yamato informed, scanning their area in the deep cave. " Usually, they're kind and playful, but..."  
  
At that moment, one Munak popped up almost out of nowhere, alarming the two Archers. However, with brilliant instincts they both brought it down using several silver arrows. Taichi let out a relieved breath, then glanced at Yamato. The blonde's approving look sent such a radiating smile to him...  
  
They continued on their somewhat random path, keeping a keen eye for other Munaks. Surprisingly, there was no one else in this area of the cave, which was starting to worry Yamato. Why weren't there any control parties here? In fact, there weren't many Munaks around at all... Hawkes seemed to sense something as well, as he kept turning his head, his piercing gaze wandering everywhere. Normally, the falcon was rather lazy when it came to staying alert...  
  
" Taichi, be careful. Something isn't right here..." Yamato warned.  
  
" Hm? The area's just sort of empty, so what?" Taichi replied, trotting around, " Maybe the Munak went out to lunch."  
  
" I doubt that would happen..." Yamato said, seriousness developing further.  
  
" Oh, lighten up, Yamato. I'm doing great with my training, aren't I? You said it yourself earlier in Bibilan."  
  
" Yes, but you shouldn't get cocky about it."  
  
" What about you, Mr. I-can-take-down-the-Vagabond-Wolf-twice-as-fast-as-I-can?"  
  
They glared at each other, but Yamato didn't retort. He cursed, then continued through the dungeon's path. Why was he teaching someone who got on his nerves so often? He never had to deal with such people before. The worst part was that it pained him to have such a relationship with Taichi...  
  
Another Munak attacked them, going after Yamato. He maneuvered through her attacks until an arrow blew past his neck and into the Munak's chest. Even as the Munak fell over, Yamato turned around and gave Taichi a disappointed look.  
  
" Don't try that again, Taichi. It was only luck that made the arrow hit the Munak and not me," he murmured.  
  
Taichi placed his crossbow behind his arrow pack, showing that he was through with battling. " Well, I guess I'm just not fit to help you if you won't trust me."  
  
" That's right." Yamato turned around immediately after saying that, not wanting to find out Taichi's reaction to his coldness.  
  
He growled in frustration. He couldn't figure out what these feelings inside him were, and it certainly wasn't helping him at night. Taichi's empathy definitely helped him sleep previously -- in fact, it worked like a charm, but there was still something amiss...  
  
Was it just him, or was there a strange yellow light flickering in the distance? He changed direction to investigate it, making Taichi tag along. Yamato knew his way around the dungeon, after all.  
  
Just as the light seemed to be closer, it bursted into nothing, like a tiny flame being blown out. The two boys were now in a large, open area, with a couple abandoned wooden buildings near the cave walls.  
  
" Taichi, did you see that flame?"  
  
" Flame? What flame?"  
  
" The yellow flame in the direction we were walking towards."  
  
" No, I saw a yellow FOX, though."  
  
Yamato stopped breathing for a second. It couldn't be... " ...How many tails did it have?"  
  
Innocently, Taichi answered, " I don't know, but it certainly didn't look like just one. Is something wrong, Yamato?"  
  
Yamato stared into Taichi's general direction. " Taichi... look carefully."  
  
A hollow echoeing filled the cave, not quite eerie, but still intimidating. From the corridors, something was materializing... Materializing... houses?  
  
Houses, like the two along the walls, formed to block the dungeon pathways, locking the two boys in.  
  
" What you saw wasn't a normal fox; it was a Nine Tail," Yamato informed in a deathly droning voice. He prepared an arrow, and was about to indicate Taichi to do the same, when-  
  
Hawkes gave a screech, flapping off of Yamato's shoulder. A flash of red filled Yamato's view... several flaps of Taichi's clothing flew off to reveal the hindered skin underneath. Taichi clutched above the waist where he was hit, holding back a yelp with shaking teeth. He had little time to idle on the pain before he sensed a breeze coming towards him...  
  
The brunette jumped back just in time to dodge whatever was aiming for him. The breeze was visible this blow, and that too materialized. It was... an Assassin. Taichi didn't even have time to have a reaction to the revelation; he leaped back again to dodge another slash.  
  
' Another Assassin's after Taichi?' Yamato thought in the sidelines. Taichi was doing a pretty fancy job dodging the Assassin, however. In fact, it was quite impressive... but he couldn't waste such a moment. He lifted his Arbalest, aiming for the Assassin as he continued to attack Taichi.  
  
By now, Taichi had a clear view of the Assassin as he dodged. He wore a brown bandana with a skull head patched on the front, and he had a long, dark ponytail. His skin tight clothes were covered in strange bandage-like material, and the material at the neck extended to cover his mouth, hiding his expression. His weapon looked like something between a dagger and a sword, but it flew as quickly as a knife. Behind him, Taichi saw that one of the newly materialized houses would become a dead end...  
  
When he reached that dead end, the Assassin paused to aim a strike across Taichi's middle. Somehow, with little thought, Taichi jumped high to dodge the blow, and the blade got caught into the tough wooden material of the house. Taichi used his feet to push off the blade and wall, then was about to kick off the Assassin...  
  
Yamato kept his aim steady, waiting for an open spot to shoot the Assassin from the side.  
  
The Assassin swiftly brought out his other arm, revealing a small shield with a large spike on it. Unfortunately for him, Taichi was way above the spike, which resulted in him landing cleanly on its side. Once again, he used leverage, and jumped onto the roof. The Assassin was hardly fazed by the large impact, and watched Taichi take shelter on the roof.  
  
Yamato saw his opportunity. As the Assassin jumped onto the blade carved into the wall, the blonde launched an arrow, hoping to end the ordeal. The Assassin began to leap onto the roof, when the arrow hit him right on the side, opposite to the one Taichi was injured in. The Assassin winced, holding back any verbal response like Taichi did. He landed cleanly on the roof, then quickly pulled the arrow out of him. The bandages covering his body protected him...  
  
" Who are you?" Taichi yelled, trying to intimidate. " Why are you after me? What did I do?"  
  
Instead of answering, the Assassin only pulled out two shorter daggers from under his cloak, throwing his shield aside. He lunged for Taichi once more.  
  
' Idiot,' Yamato thought, ' Don't bother with the questions until you fall the opponent.' He noted to teach Taichi this later... that is, if there WAS a later. But he had to note that the Assassin was focused on Taichi, and only Taichi... Why Taichi?  
  
And then, he wondered, why did Yamato even bother? Maybe Taichi really did need to be killed. He knew there was something much more to him, but was it for the good, or would it lead to utter destruction? And did Yamato want to find out? He just wanted to find out more about Taichi, not just his purpose...  
  
Taichi lost his balance in the process of dodging the Assassin's attacks. He was forced to jump off the building, back into the trapped ring. The Assassin swiftly followed, moving faster than usual without the heavy weight of his shield.  
  
" Taichi!" Yamato yelled, finally retaining some value of strategy, " Don't just run around! Retaliate!"  
  
Taichi tried to reach back for his crossbow, but couldn't find any space between that and dodging the Assassin's blows.  
  
" Hawkes! Please!" Yamato cried for his falcon at his side, who had been staring at the scene the entire time. Yamato winced slightly, knowing that at times, his falcon didn't have the nerve to help them...  
  
But Hawkes looked back at Yamato, and without another word, he set off at high speed at the Assassin. He pecked at the Assassin's head, giving Taichi some time to take out his crossbow. He pulled an arrow out and shot it at the distracted Assassin. The arrow went straight into the other side of where the first arrow had hit him.  
  
This time, the Assassin cried out while Hawkes continued to attack him. The two Archers thought they were finally getting an edge to the assailant, when...The Assassin started to glow green.  
  
Hawkes suddenly gave out a cry as he was thrown back from the green substance. He kept his leverage, however, and flew back over to Yamato. The Assassin stood up as the green became heavier, pulling the second arrow out of his side. His eyes gave no way to what he was feeling, but it seemed that he was quite nonchalant.  
  
" Who are you?" Taichi yelled once more, keeping his bow ready for another shot.  
  
" We prefer not to tell you."  
  
The voice came from the roof of the house behind them. Another person appeared on the roof, covered in large black and red robes.  
  
" But if you insist... I'm the Priest of the gods, Kouichi, and that fellow in green is the Assassin of the gods, Kouji. It doesn't matter, however... you'll be dead after we present you to our masters. You, boy." He gave an intense stare at Taichi.  
  
Abruptly, the Priest raised a hand and covered himself in the same green substance Kouji was surrounded in. At that moment, Yamato shot an arrow he had silently prepared during his introduction. The arrow disintegrated into nothing as it hit the green covering. Yamato cursed as he watched his attack become useless.  
  
" Leave Taichi alone!"  
  
Taichi stared at the blonde in surprise. " Yamato..."  
  
Realization struck the apprentice as he stared at the experienced Archer and his falcon, shaking in fear. " You have to get out of here, Yamato. They only want me."  
  
' Why can't they just leave Taichi alone...? I can't let them have him,' Yamato found himself thinking. He didn't even try holding back the implications behind his thoughts anymore... he was too focused for that.  
  
" I can't do that, Taichi. I can't just leave you."  
  
Taichi stared at him, unable to breathe.  
  
The Priest cocked his head leisurely at the conversation, then smiled pleasantly. " Knock 'em down, Kouji."  
  
He cast several spells in one huge bulk on Kouji, whose growing power seemed quite visible...  
  
Taichi gritted his teeth, seeing that the Assassin was staring at him, then tried to prepare for the blow. It was pointless to watch his own suffering...  
  
He waited... but nothing came. He lowered the arms covering his face, and met up with something least expected...  
  
Yamato slumped onto him, his Arbalest bow long abandoned on the ground. A cry of a falcon echoed through the cave, and a single feather could be seen in the air as Hawkes escaped the scene. Taichi instinctly took hold of the Archer, his eyes boggling at the sight. Yamato was barely conscious.  
  
" Yamato..." he uttered, his mouth opening and closing even after he had said it. " Why did you..."  
  
The blonde stared into the Taichi's eyes, suffering clear in his stance. A trail of blood suddenly began to run out of the corner of his lips as he frowned in despair. " You..." he said softly, weakly grabbing onto Taichi for support, " You tell me..."  
  
And at that moment... Yamato was telling the truth. He became a heavy weight on Taichi as he lost the ability to sustain himself.  
  
****  
  
Hm, must be me, or people like to become unconscious in this fic. o.o;  
  
I swear to the gods that the evilness will be explained later!!! XD  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	6. Revelation Comprehension

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 6: Revelation Comprehension  
****  
  
Both sides in this chapter. ^^;  
  
Hehe, seems like I confused a lot of people with the Kouji thing. Yes! I'm just going to insist that Kouichi's not evil, and that it'll be explained eventually~ The confusion is intentional. ^_^;  
  
Ragnarok Online doesn't really have much of a plot, so a lot of this I have to make up. ^^  
  
Thanks shoutout! rachiru-rebonu, Dark_Fox, Sillie, LadyLobomon Warrior of Shadow, Pinali, Blackout12 (I'm so glad you enjoy reviewing ^^), KAWAIIROXY, Lady Moon3 (there's no use denying it, you're very right! But that's not all ^_^), Darcy335, Linnda, Catgirl Rahen (bulletin, hehe), Saya (blood? hmmm *evil grin*), Zlankrilanchinage (Please call me Splash. It's only FF.N's fault that the Yaoiluv needs to be attached. Cute Shaman King muse. =D), otaku no baka (This fic is based on Ragnarok Online ^^ But Ragnarok Online is based off the manga Ragnarok, so it has similar ties. Although, the game has little to do with the manga.), KawaiiKaren (Wow, you're like, one of the few people reading this who's actually played RO, lol! I completely forgot about battle acos, gomen! Is it any consolation if I say that Kouichi's a hybrid build? XD BTW, I kept seeing Mimi as an aco since I saw a Japanese fanart with her dressed as one, with Bunny Band! I kind of have Digimon in here, if anyone's noticed that the Knight Sefirot is from Digimon Frontier. The female Wizard and male Blacksmith were Rana(mon) and Arbor(mon), respectively. I plan to have them up again~ ^^ I don't know much about Kingdom Hearts, though ^^)  
  
Quick note: Blacksmith is an advanced class of the Merchant.  
  
****  
  
~To defeat another person, you must know what it's like to walk in their shoes... Is it worth it in the end?~  
  
****  
  
Takuya woke up the same morning by rolling onto his back, spreading his entire body across the bed. He exaggerated a yawn, then rubbed his eyes at the sun shining down at him. Those several extra hours of sleep really helped, but he hoped Kouji wasn't too upset. Speaking of which, where was Kouji?  
  
The brunette swung over to the single desk in the room to get dressed up. He grabbed for his goggles, then paused at the sight of Kouji's dirt yellow bandana. Kouji rarely went anywhere without his bandana... this was unusual, not to mention his Damascus and other equipment were left behind.  
  
' Oh, well. We have this room for another day, so I shouldn't worry too much about it.'  
  
Heading outside in full attire, Takuya welcomed the sun shining down at him, delighting at the sounds of the birds outside. There were a lot of things he wanted to see in this town. The previous night's Falconry Festival had kept him away from the other sights, but now that it wouldn't come back until that night, he was free to check out what was in store.  
  
Takuya spotted a rather intriguing vendor in the light atmosphere of the Archery village. While most of them were selling silver arrows for the undead monsters in Payon Dungeon, this one had something completely different... daggers. And not just ordinary daggers, they gave off ferocious auras. Takuya went up to the vendor to inspect the merchandise.  
  
" There must be a dozen Damascus daggers here..." Takuya said in stark awe.  
  
Behind the display of weapons, the Merchant turned to face him. He had an unshaven chin and he had a pipe in his mouth, although no smoke was coming out of it. " How good are ya, kid?"  
  
Surprised at the firm question, Takuya jerked his head to face the Merchant, not knowing what to say. " I... uh..."  
  
" Where are you from? I've never seen you in my travels around Payon and Alberta."  
  
" I'm from Morroc, sir."  
  
" Ah, that explains it... I feel sorry for you... the most of the monsters you get are Desert Wolves, Hodes and Sandmen... and it takes a while to find 'em."  
  
Takuya's mind started spinning. He had never heard of these creatures before, but they were in his home area. How come this foreigner knew about them, but he didn't? There was so much he had to find out about the world around him...  
  
" Is that Damascus your only equipment?" the Blacksmith asked, observing the sheath case on Takuya's side.  
  
" Yes."  
  
The Blacksmith shook his head. " You're not going to get very far with only that, especially as a Thief. Did you take a good look at what I've got here? I've made every one of these with my own hands."  
  
The young Thief's eyes bulged. " ALL of these? But, there's dozens and dozens..."  
  
" Daggers are slightly easier to make than swords, my other specialty," the Blacksmith noted. " All of these are elemental."  
  
" Elemental...?"  
  
" Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water," the Blacksmith listed off, " A set of all four is only 200,000 zeny, which is a really good deal, considering everything it takes to make one of these weapons. You'd be lucky if you could find ONE of these for that price. You interested? With this set, you can fight off just about anything."  
  
' That's 2/3 of our money,' Takuya contemplated, ' No... I have an extra 50k that I kept for emergencies. We'll be fine...'  
  
" I'll buy a set."  
  
Suddenly, the Blacksmith stood to his full height, making Takuya's eyes bulge again. He was gigantic with broad arms that definitely showed he wasn't lying when he claimed he made so many weapons. With one massive scoop, he handed four neatly crafted sheath cases to Takuya. Each sheath had clear labels for which element dagger was inside. The red fire symbol, the yellow wind symbol, the brown earth symbol, the blue water symbol...  
  
" And for being my first customer in a long time, here's a complimentary Buckler."  
  
While Takuya was still trying to fit all the weapons on his belt, the Blacksmith shoved a large, round chunk of metal into his arms. The brunette tipped over slightly from the momentum, but managed to stand back up.  
  
" W... what is this?" Takuya said as he peered at it, observing the circular shape and the spike protruding in the center.  
  
" Commonly used among thieves and acolytes, the Buckler will protect you from just about any attack and fend off enemies with its large spike," the Blacksmith said, imitating a salesman. " Wow, that brings back old Merchant memories..."  
  
" Thanks," Takuya said openly, " I wonder what I should do next..."  
  
" You should try Payon Cave, since it's right there," the Blacksmith pointed to a cave close by. " The fire Damascus works well on the Undeads, even if it's not as great as a holy weapon."  
  
Takuya nodded, then went into the cave without further hesitation. He was immediately incased by a mass of people and the cave-dwelling monsters. Zombies covered the narrow hallways of the dungeon, and bats pestered people here and there. All in all, it was a pretty chaotic area... Takuya observed the others (mainly Archers) slaughtering Zombies.  
  
" Are you here for the money, too?" someone randomly from behind him. He turned around to see another Thief just like him. Even in his hometown, he wasn't used to meeting other thieves... his business wasn't like the normal Thief's, after all...  
  
" Money? How can you get money here?" Takuya figured the monsters were just there to train people.  
  
The Thief snickered. " Like I'm going to tell you."  
  
Takuya was too shocked to do anything as the Thief walked away. ' What kind of person does something that rude? Gese...' Despite the short and rude encounter, Takuya continued on in cheerful spirits.  
  
" I saw that Thief blow you off. What a cruel thing to do to a fellow class member."  
  
Once again, Takuya turned to meet the voice, but this time, it was a female Hunter who met up with him.  
  
" You must be new around this city."  
  
" Who are you?" Takuya asked tentatively.  
  
" The name's Sakura. I can finish what the Thief should have said for you."  
  
" Please?"  
  
" Wow... it's hard to find a male with manners these days," Sakura said, frowning. " The Zombies and Familiar bats have teeth that are excellent for Blacksmiths to use in their forgery. There aren't too many weapons that haven't been spiffed up with these things. Anyhow, they sell for a lot of money if you gather a bunch of them."  
  
Takuya spotted a Zombie approaching him and decided to try out his new fire Damascus. Taking the weapon out of its sheath, he slashed at the ugly creature. A strange blaze erupted from inside the Zombie before it fell over. As it disappeared, a single tooth formed where it once lay.  
  
" That was easy..."  
  
Takuya turned around to thank Sakura, only to find no one there. That was unusual... Then again, everything that happened on this world was unusual. Takuya shrugged and picked up the tooth, then continued traveling through the cave for more monsters.  
  
****  
  
He lost himself in time in the cave, collecting teeth and selling them to excited Blacksmiths outside of the cave. While it was good money-making, it was dull without Kouji... Where could he have gone? When Takuya went back to the Inn they were staying at, there was no sign of Kouji. He started to get worried from this discovery, especially since they were in a foreign place. Kouji could be lost, or people could have done something to him...  
  
The second choice conjured a vile churning inside him. Was all this... his fault? He tried to remember the events earlier in the day... he just woke up, when Kouji...  
  
Ah, that's right. Kouji ran off in a rather dismayed state... he was probably off somewhere being angsty. Takuya almost laughed at the thought, then thought better of it. He could just imagine Kouji sitting off in a lonely dungeon corner in a fetal position...  
  
Takuya held back more chuckles. He wouldn't do that, would he?  
  
Having cheered himself up slightly from the joke, the brunette adjusted his goggles and headed back out to explore the town some more.  
  
****  
  
After fighting a bout of Poring mobs with his wind Damascus, Takuya had just about enough of the city. The old buildings were pretty and all, but the atmosphere just didn't seem right. The festivities didn't hide the dangerous aura it was giving off. Perhaps it was something in the cave... with all the people fighting so many monsters, something seemed unusual. Was this city always that busy? The activity seemed... artificial, almost.  
  
Curiosity unsatiated, Takuya went back to Payon Dungeon, trying to ignore the usual activity of the tooth-Hunters. Something was strange, certainly...  
  
Suddenly, Takuya shuddered, as if a gust of wind had ganged up on him. Someone nearby gave him a strange look before stepping up to a Zombie. Takuya could hear something... standing still, he focused on a distant murmurring. It sounded like.... flapping?  
  
As soon as he could distinguish the sound, he opened his eyes and saw a bird frantically flapping in his direction. It looked like a Hunter's falcon, except it was much smaller. Takuya didn't have to hesitate further, however. He followed the falcon as it flew back the way it came. It flew as fast as Takuya could run, down endless corridors of the cave. Takuya didn't know where he was going or what the falcon was trying to do, but he could feel that something important was about to happen...  
  
When he started tiring from the running, he put a hand to the wall and stopped to catch his breath. The falcon also stopped, to his surprise. In fact, it was rather peculiar when the falcon landed on his shoulder...  
  
" What is..." He started to speak, hanging on to the side of the cave, when he realized he was in a rather open area. It wasn't crowded with Zombies or Familiars...  
  
Instead, there was someone dressed in dark blue... and he was floating. What the hell? Takuya could see something behind the person, battered on the ground. The dark blue figured turned around and spotted him, giving a not-so-pleasant look. Was it going to attack him?  
  
Takuya didn't have to answer his own question... he pulled out his fire Damascus and swung it before he knew what he was doing. The figure, wearing a large hat with some sort of amulet hanging in front of his face, wobbled forward and attempted to punch the brunette. It was slow this time, however. Something inside Takuya made him move almost instinctively... almost as if he had no control of himself. Takuya easily slipped behind the other creature and slashed it across the back. The creature gave out a keen wail, ripping apart from the slash outward until it withered into nothingness.  
  
Takuya blinked, then took a step back, as if recovering from a push. What the heck just happened? He knew what he was doing, yet he made no mental effort to stop himself. It wasn't as if something possessed him, more like... a part of him had awakened for a moment. He had never killed another creature like that before... not one that looked as human as that one...  
  
His thoughts were cut off as he spotted the person the creature had been blocking earlier. He was unconscious, it seemed, since Takuya highly doubted anyone would fall asleep in a dungeon as dangerous as this. He had not a scratch on him, and all of his supplies were still with him. A large, powerful looking bow lay at his side, along with a pack of arrow. The boy was blonde and he had a strange pair of white wings on his head...  
  
The falcon, who had moved off Takuya's shoulder as he attacked, nudged the fallen boy's head. Abruptly, the body spasmed, and the next thing Takuya knew, the blonde boy had jolted upright. Takuya took another step back, his fire Damascus ready in hand.   
  
" TAICHI!"  
  
To Takuya's surprise, the blonde was breathing heavily, clutching his bow close to his chest. The Archer scanned the area with frantic eyes, then narrowed his eyes at Takuya. " Who are you?!?" he snapped.  
  
Takuya kneeled next to the blonde, giving him an irritated look. " Great attitude toward the person who just saved your life. Did that blue-clothed person really knock you unconscious?"  
  
The blonde paused, realizing that the boy next to him was not an enemy. Though he was not the most pleasant person at first impression, that was the main point... " I was taken down by an Assassin... your advanced class, in fact..."  
  
Takuya ignored the blonde quirking his eye at him, then offered the blonde a white cloth he took out of his supply. " Here. Your back is... all red."  
  
The blonde jerked his head to glance at the Thief, as if he had not heard him correctly. " I..." he suddenly wheezed, coughing into his hand. When he pulled back, his hand was covered in a most recognizable pure crimson... " Oh my G...g..."  
  
The Archer started to lurch sideways, unable to stop himself. Takuya brought his arm around him to keep him up. " Hey, don't die out on me now!" he said, almost enraged. " Show a little respect here!"  
  
Slow  
ly, The blonde took the cloth from Takuya's open hand and covered his mouth with it. What does one do in such a situation? Respect... he knew how to show it, but his pride kept him back most of the time. This wasn't a good time to show it. " I'm Yamato," he mumbled into the cloth.  
  
The brunette smiled thoughtfully. " I'm Takuya. Can I ask what you're doing here?"  
  
" I should ask the same thing," Yamato replied, although without malice. Their conversation had taken an unusually delicate turn, contrasting the earlier tense atmosphere. " But since you asked first, I'll answer. My apprentice Taichi was taken by an Assassin and Priest duo. I... I have to find them..."  
  
He started to get up, but Takuya held him back. " Hold on... do you even have any idea where you're going to find them?"  
  
" I can ask around the people in the dungeon, and Hawkes can scout for me," Yamato said, his words still somewhat garbled. " There aren't that many dark-haired Assassins with ponytails."  
  
He tried to get up again, but Takuya stopped him again, this time more forcefully. Again, something strange come over the brunette, and the words spilled out of his mouth before he could recognize what he was doing. " Take me with you!"  
  
The blonde frowned as his eyes grew wide, staring at the Thief. ' There's something about this person's eyes... They're like Taichi's...'  
  
Takuya flustered, then shook his head. " Sorry... it's just that I- when you mentioned the Assassin... um..." he twisted his mouth slightly and started over. " I'm worried for my friend, and I think he's in here somewhere..."  
  
Yamato's falcon suddenly gave a shriek, startling the both of them. Swiftly, Yamato turned to where Hawkes was facing, then narrowed his eyes. He shot up from Takuya's grip and started running, ignoring Takuya's immediate protest. Nevertheless, Takuya looked up to see where Yamato was heading. He could catch a glimpse of something yellow... Intrigued, he sprinted to catch up with Yamato, falcon trailing along with him.  
  
Takuya caught up to the blonde rather quickly, much to the Archer's amazement. " What is that up there?"   
  
" A Ninetail," Yamato breathed, staring at the yellow flickering in the darkness, " Taichi saw one earlier right before the Assassin appeared."  
  
Takuya nodded and continued running. ' It'll lead us to the Assassin again... the Assassin...'  
  
Not long after, Yamato stopped running. However, Takuya kept going, following Hawkes as a guide. He didn't realize Yamato had stopped until he turned around, before running into a bandaged chest. He felt something familiar envelopping him a split second later. Bewildered, he looked up, and his breath gave out as he uttered, " Kou..."  
  
The person in front of him was startled for sure, probably more so than Takuya. By some mysterious instinct, the Assassin had wrapped his arms around the Thief. Usually, he would have slaughtered it, or at least that was what he was trained to do...  
  
The Thief glanced around frantically. Yamato and Hawkes were no where in sight, and he was in the unsuspecting arms of an Assassin...  
  
" W-when did you change class?" Takuya said nervously. Everything was confusing him... why was Kouji in this cave? Why was he wearing Assassin clothes? Why wasn't he saying anything? Why did he have to look so... sexy...  
  
" You must be pretty strong to make it up this far, kid," Kouji said indifferently,   
removing his arms to his sides. " But watch where you're going next time."  
  
Takuya blinked several times, noticing several things about the situation. One... Kouji seemed to have no idea who Takuya was, two... there was a Priest behind Kouji, carrying a different, unconscious Archer on his back. There was definitely something amiss...  
  
The brunette gasped, his voice raising several pitches. He recognized the Priest from Geffen Dungeon... but hadn't he said he was going to some other place? And why was he wearing advanced class clothes, too? What was he doing here with Kouji...?  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as Yamato burst out of hiding and slam-tackled the Priest. The unconscious Archer slipped off of the Priest's back and into Yamato's prepared arms. The blonde yelled out something that seemed like a command of retreat.   
  
Takuya hesitated. What choices did he have? Kouji had seen Yamato's actions and the look on his face wasn't pleasing. It looked like...he was going to kill everything in sight. The brunette had never seen such an intense look before... Frightened, Takuya stepped away from the Assassin, then sprinted to follow Yamato. The Assassin didn't come after them, but went to inspect the Priest.  
  
Yamato and Takuya didn't stop running until they were in the presence of the people slaughtering Zombies in the shallow area of the cave. Panting heavily, they were unable to say anything. Yamato dropped Taichi from his back, then slumped against the cave wall. Hawkes flew over with several red herbs in his claws. Yamato took them gratefully, then gave some to Takuya, who was breathing just as hard.  
  
" I can't believe he didn't come after us," Yamato said huskily, " If he was the mean, killing machine I saw him as before, he would have left the Priest behind..."  
  
It wasn't a very important thought to him, however. He was just amazed that they escaped alive, and with Taichi... he caught his breath. " Let's move out into the city, they could still be after us."  
  
Yamato wrapped an unconscious Taichi's arm around himself, then proceeded to trudge out of the dungeon. Any Zombies that headed their way were immediately swacked by prospecting money Hunters. Takuya suggested his hotel room to let Taichi rest, which Yamato gratefully accepted. They discussed no further until they reached their destination, where Yamato placed his willing burden on the single bed.  
  
" ...Feel like talking now?" Yamato asked tentatively to Takuya.  
  
The young Thief was visibly shaking by now. The assorted daggers covering his belt were making subtle rattling noises. " I'm... going to take a break at the pub nearby," Takuya said, " You're free to rest here for the remainder of the day."  
  
They gave one small look at each other before understanding. There was one word that could describe them... drained.  
  
Yamato didn't need to thank Takuya, who left so quietly that he wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't watched him leave.  
  
The blonde scratched the back of his neck as if it had been irritating him for hours, sighing a huge sigh of relief. He dropped his arrow pack and bow, then slumped onto the bed next to Taichi. He stared blankly at the ceiling for several minutes, not thinking about anything. He could see his own eyelids flickering in front of him. Finally, he willed himself to let his mind wander.  
  
' At times like this we have little time to idle away by reflecting,' he remembered saying to Taichi. " I'm a hypocrite."  
  
This made him feel all the worse, seeing Taichi in front of him, unawake. Only now did Yamato start feeling the pain in his back. Yamato had taken a full hit from one of the Assassin's daggers. With a hit like that, he was rather surprised that he still had any strength left. His back didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, either. Perhaps the Priest had something to do with it... Still, the injury was painful. After all that running, he was more exhausted than he had ever been.  
  
Shifting closer to the center of the bed (one of his legs were dangling off the side), Yamato flushed as he noticed that the bed was rather small for two people. Hesitantly, he brought an arm over Taichi's limp figure and closed the space between them. Even though Taichi wasn't conscious, Yamato hoped that the contact would help him sleep. " Taichi..."  
  
He felt horrible. Here he was, unable to defend Taichi from the advanced classes and having to run away... and he was still depending on Taichi to help him sleep. It was pathetic, but there was little he could do. Maybe some day, he could properly return the gift Taichi had given him... He didn't find Taichi's method to be awkward at all, actually. It frightened him slightly, how much he anticipated talking to Taichi again. He had never gone through such efforts for anyone else before, so what made Taichi special? Aside from the burning personality, enthusiasm, innocence, and the adorable way the Kittyband fitted on his beautiful hair...  
  
****  
  
The pub was crowded with Hunters. This wasn't what Takuya wanted, but he couldn't find any better spot. He still didn't know what to think... all he could do was sit with a blank face on the pub chair. The Hunter falcons surrounding him were all the prime of their breed; they were extremely clean and most people wouldn't even be able to tell they were real birds from their manners.  
  
Takuya didn't stir as two Hunters approached him, one of them apparently drunk as his arm was slung over the other.  
  
" Do you mind if we take these seats next to you?" the sober one asked.  
  
Takuya didn't reply, so the Hunters took the seat next to him anyway. The drunk one didn't bother sitting down, but he kept his arms over the other for support.  
  
" What's your name?" the sober one asked lightly.  
  
Takuya was too unmotivated to reply, but the Hunters didn't seem to mind. They continued to look at the small boy with indescribable faces. " Something happen to ya, kid?"  
  
Naturally, Takuya didn't say anything. Sometimes, he just wished he could carry around some sign that could conveniently tell people what he was feeling... a sign like the one the drunk Hunter was wearing... it was right on top of his head. It was a wooden sign, peculiar how it seemed to sprout right out of his hair... the sign had a clear "|-D" sign on it. Takuya peered at it sideways to observe the drunk person's emotion. After he finished, he turned away and finished his business with the Hunters.  
  
" Che, offer help to a guy and he blows you off," the sober hunted muttered.  
  
Takuya paused. He was being unreasonably rude, he realized. These Hunters had done nothing to him, yet he was treating them like dirt...  
  
" Why would you want to help me?" he asked tentatively, turning towards them.  
  
The Hunters didn't answer for a long while.  
  
" Because we can," the drunk one said.  
  
" Don't mind him, he's a bit out of proper thought," the other added, " but no one should be feeling down during the Falconry Festival! We've made a habit to go around cheering people up during this time, so you're up next! What's on your mind?"  
  
Takuya slowly told the Hunters his story, from leaving Morroc to the full incident in Payon Dungeon...  
  
The drunk Hunter put his hand on his chin and nodded knowingly. " Yes, yes, something weird did happen indeed..."  
  
" I have no idea what to do now, it seems like... Kouji's entered a completely different world or something. I have no idea how he became an assassin in that short period of time either. It's so..."  
  
The sober was imitating the drunk's position now. " You say you met Kouichi and him deep inside Payon Dungeon? Together?"  
  
Takuya nodded.  
  
" This Ninetail you mentioned," the Hunter continued, " Ninetail follow the Moonlight."  
  
This was new to the brunette. " What?"  
  
" You don't know the Moonlight? That's scary that you don't know. She's the highlight of Payon Dungeon, everyone wants to fight her! But only a rare few stay alive to boast about it..."  
  
The drunk one suddenly lurched over the other Hunter. " Oh my God, she's gorgeous! I've seen her! Better yet, she wears absolutely nothing on her-"  
  
" You dumbass, you saw the illustrated card picture," the other said, somewhat annoyed. Takuya just blinked at them innocently. " Anyway, Moony's been known to possess her victims. It's possible that Kouichi and Kouji were taken..."  
  
The Thief felt abruptly enlightened. He noticed at that moment, that instead of freaking out, he could think this out stategically with the Hunters.  
  
" That's probably it," Takuya said with a strange sense of acceptance. " Is there a way to return them to normal?"  
  
" Well... there isn't much information about the people she possesses. We can't tell who's possessed by her, or if they're possessed permanently. Actually, we don't know if any of them are alive still."  
  
" Alive..." Takuya uttered in a low pitch, nearly causing the Hunters to shudder. " I'm going to fight Moonlight and make her free Kouji and Kouichi."  
  
" Whoa, whoa," the drunk one butt in, " Easier said than done, fella. It's impossible even for a single second class, let alone a first class like you."  
  
" You never know unless you try!" Takuya nearly shouted. His sudden burst of determination startled the Hunters.  
  
They didn't say anything for several minutes, as the bar chattering continued around them. Finally, the drunk one shrugged, while keeping his arm on the other Hunter.  
  
" At least you could become an Assassin before trying Moonlight," he said, sighing.  
  
Takuya's eyes bulged. He looked at his Damascus set on his belt with a new meaning. It hadn't occured to him until now. Why pout about being beyond Kouji's reach, when he hadn't even tried going for the same level?  
  
" If Kouji's an Assassin, there's no reason why I can't be one, too. I'll do that. Then I'll go have a tiff with that Moonlight..."  
  
****  
  
There's some pics on both the Taito and the Takouji sites for this fic. =3 Gogogo review! X3  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	7. What We Desire

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 7: What We Desire  
****  
  
Ph33r the yaoi!  
  
Thanks shoutout! jay man, Lady Moon3 (Ahhh! It's the curse of the _ emo cutoff! Hope you didn't lose anything in the review... ^^), Catgirl Rahen (There wasn't any room to explain it fully enough, but I did mention Yamato noticed that the Priest might have had something to do with it. The Priest can heal the wounds, but there's still blood. The Priest can't heal red clothes, either~ lol. Maybe I was thinking too realistically? Oh well, might as well keep with it), KawaiiKaren (I can really imagine Takuya as a Rogue, but I don't know enough about them to do that, unfortunately. ^^ kRO doesn't even have the 2-2 classes working fully yet, let alone the server I play on. Q_Q), Blackout12 (Lol! Yes, the plot is still growing, I'm glad you like it =3), darcy335200 (Um, yes! Emos. O_o), and Dragi! (please enjoy this chapter ^^)  
  
Randomness: Does anyone actually GET the meanings behind the quotes at the beginning of these chapters? This one's probably the easiest ^^  
  
****  
  
Too much of a good thing... even the sun, the source of all life can kill...  
  
****  
  
By the time Takuya went back to the inn, he was too tired to think anything of the two archers occupying his bed. He pulled his sleeping bag out of his pack, arranged it on the floor next to the bed, and laid down on it. He was asleep in an instant, his snores following Yamato's.  
  
****  
  
Yamato awoke to a brunette's cheerful, awake face --the least of his expectations. The sun was shining down on them, indicating the start of a new day.  
  
" Wow," Taichi said as his Kittyband perked itself, " I get knocked out by a Priest/Assassin duo and I wake up in a luxurious hotel back with my wonderful master."  
  
The blonde flushed at his reference. The way Taichi said it... he couldn't tell whether it was innocent or mischevious, which made it all the worse. He noticed he was still holding onto Taichi, so he pulled back and faced the opposite direction. On the desk next to the bed, Hawkes stirred, but did not open his eyes.  
  
The ears on Taichi's Kittyband drooped again. His attempt to cheer Yamato up seemed to backfire. He wanted to ease some tension, but in the end, he would just have to spill the beans...  
  
" Yamato, the Goddess of Strength spoke to me again."  
  
That got the blonde's attention. He remained facing the other direction, but he no longer gave an aura of neglect.  
  
" She told me... that I mustn't give in to the darkness... that I must continue to do what I feel is right..."  
  
Yamato snorted. " Still as vague as ever, is she?"  
  
Taichi looked apprehensively at Yamato's back, trying to disregard the heavy red stain on his garment for the moment. " Yamato, are you upset with me?"  
  
" No..." he replied quietly, soothingly, " I'm just... very tired still."  
  
" Are you okay? You took a heavy hit back in the cave."  
  
" Ya, I don't feel any pain on my back at all," Yamato said, wrapping the blanket around himself. " I'm almost positive that the Priest healed me afterwards. I'll just have to wash these clothes."  
  
Taichi "hmmed" thoughtfully. Suddenly, he moved forward, clutching Yamato's side. Yamato gulped and stayed rigid.  
  
" T... Taichi... what..." His mind failed him and drew a complete blank... but only temporarily. He screwed his eyes and settled down. ' Empathy, empathy,' he thought over and over. ' It's only...'  
  
Several hours passed, when Takuya woke them up.  
  
" My rent expires soon," he told them. He was already fully dressed, goggles fitting neatly on his head. " Do you want to go to the pub with me?" he glanced at Taichi. " Oh, I'm Takuya."  
  
" Taichi."  
  
The two Archers packed up (or rather, just picked their own single pack with everything in it) and followed the Thief. There was low activity in the pub compared to the previous night, as it was during the dreary time of day. They chose a table in the center of the pub.  
  
" What are your plans, guys?" Takuya asked as they settled into their seats. His tone was moderate and considerate.  
  
" Um... continue training, I suppose... and continue searching for Ymir," Yamato replied. It took him a while to reach that answer. It seemed they were bounding away from their original journey... He still had no idea why people were after Taichi...  
  
" Ymir?" Takuya said, confused.  
  
" It's a long story, and there's no need for you to worry about it right now. You'll find out some way or another if the problems gets worse," Yamato answered. " What about you? What will you be doing?"  
  
" I'm going for the Assassin class," he replied with a dangerous tint of determination.  
  
They were silent for a moment as Yamato observed the Thief. " Then we'll go with you. There's some good places to train in Morroc anyway."  
  
" Huh?"  
  
Yamato scratched his head. " The Assassin guild's close to Morroc, didn't you know?"  
  
Takuya blinked. " I had no idea. I thought I could just find out eventually..."  
  
" Well, better now than never. Let's go find a warping Acolyte to save us some time from walking all the way."  
  
They left the pub and wandered around the town center. Leftovers from the Falconry Festival were scattered everywhere. Random villagers were picking up the litter rather grudgingly. In front of the capital dynasty building, a large gathering of advanced classes resided.  
  
Yamato called out in the open for Hawkes, who seemed to come out of nowhere as he flew onto the Archer's shoulder. Taichi stared around, still bewildered at the vast amount of people loitering. Even living in Payon all through his life, he had never seen so many fighters, so many classes...  
  
He voiced his concern to Yamato, who replied, " It's a war. Most people would deny it at this point, but it's here for sure. Look at what's happening. Dungeon killing's become a daily activity in Midgard. Big things are happening, but it's chaotic so no one can make any sense of it. Who knows when the next hit will co-"  
  
On the stairs leading to the dynasty building, two archers gave a shout. Taichi watched as the male archer went down to a lower level of stairs and brought out... a branch. The branch suddenly disappeared, replaced by... a sickenly old man carrying a large, dirty box.  
  
" What the-" Takuya started.  
  
" A Zerom," Yamato finished, growning in amusement. " Summonsed through a dead branch."  
  
" I've heard of dead branches," Taichi noted, " Most people get them from Elder Willows... they summon random monsters from the dead."  
  
The female from the upper staircase furiously Double Strafed the monster before it hit the other Archer. The Zerom fell over, his box toppling over his mostly naked body.  
  
" Look, a Priest!" Taichi exlaimed, rudely pointing at a female nearby casting a Sanctuary to heal those around her. Yamato lightly lowered his hand for him after following his direction.  
  
" Let's ask for a warp-"  
  
" Wait! Maybe she can do resurrections!" Taichi cut Yamato off. The brunette set off to meet her without waiting for the others.  
  
" Huh?" Takuya followed slowly, giving Yamato and puzzled look.  
  
" I completely forgot," he said, as if in awe of watching the world crumble before him. " Taichi's mission is to resurrect his mother."  
  
" Hey, guys!" Taichi called, Kittyband perking wildly. The crowd around them stared at him, but he plainly ignored everyone. " Her name's Menchi! She can do resurrections!"  
  
" Is it okay if we wait a bit before going to Morroc?"  
  
Takuya nodded. He was curious as to what this "resurrection" was. When they made it to the Priest, Yamato gaped.  
  
" You look just like Sakura," he said. Indeed, he was right; Menchi had the exact same face and hair, the only difference was that she was wearing a magic wearer's Circlet.  
  
" You know her? She's one of my twin sisters," the Priest commented.  
  
" One of...?" Yamato drooped. ' How many more ARE there?'  
  
As if proving his distress, Menchi stuck a strange leaf in her mouth.  
  
" Oo, a Romantic Leaf," Taichi iddly labelled, " Come! My mother must be back at home."  
  
Menchi, who didn't seem to mind helping out, followed Taichi with a bemused look.  
  
As Yamato succeeded, he passed Takuya's gaze before turning away. The Thief felt a huge wave of déjà vu. Something about Yamato's expression... it was the same on Kouji gave before leaving their room. Now he could understand how Kouji felt, this feeling of loneliness... he saw it through Yamato's eyes.  
  
Taichi's mother had been moved to the Archer's guild, for they deemed leaving her alone at home was too dangerous. The Guild Master escorted them to her room. Immediately, Menchi lifted her hands and emitted a glow.  
  
Yamato blinked several times. " Don't you need a Blue Gemstone?"  
  
Menchi blinked in return as the glowing continued to increase. " Whatever do you mean...? For this Resurrection? Oh, I don't need one."  
  
Taichi wasn't concerned at all, unlike Yamato. " Why not?" the blonde asked.  
  
" Trade Secret, kinda," she replied through clenched teeth. A surge of power passed from her hands into Taichi's mother's body, transferring the glowing as well. The unconscious person suddenly roused.  
  
" Mother!" Taichi cheered. She turned her head, confused.  
  
" Where am I?"  
  
" The Archery guild, mom," he shifted so she was looking at him. " The Vagabond Wolf put you in a state of unconsciousness. This Priestess just resurrected you."  
  
" Menchi's here to serve you," she said courteously.  
  
" Vagabond..." she repeated.  
  
" Yeah, and now there's monsters attacking all over the place! People have been targetting me, and I've been to all sorts of different cities and dungeons! We've met all these strange water creatures, Undead monsters, and even a Baphomet Jr! A Baphomet, mom! Even if it was only a j-"  
  
Yamato cleanly clapped a mouth over Taichi's rapid mouth. " Don't overwhelm her, Taichi. She just got up."  
  
After some light conversation between all of the people, Taichi began to recount the latest events with his mother. Several hours had already passed, and Yamato began to feel restless. It wasn't just that he had trouble socializing...  
  
" If we're holding you back, you can ask Menchi to warp you to Morroc right now. We'll just go later," he told Takuya. Takuya looked reluctant to leave. " We'll meet again some day... when you're an Assassin. It doesn't seem to be a coincidence that we met..."  
  
The Thief nodded, then bide farewell.  
  
" Good kid," Yamato noted, " He reminds me of Taichi somehow..."  
  
Taichi's mother invited him for a meal, which Yamato accepted out of respect. He walked with the two Yagamis to their residence, where the mother already had a meal prepared. Taichi happily dug in, while Yamato took his time. They ate in silence until Yamato asked out of the blue, " Taichi told you about the attacks on him, right, Mrs. Yagami?"  
  
Suddenly, she looked apprehensive. She dug into her food more heavily and chewed more thoroughly. " Yes."  
  
Yamato wasn't sure if he should have brought the subject up. But... better now than never. " What are you going to do about it? It's kind of a big question... but we need big answers."  
  
Taichi glanced at him. " We? Who's we?"  
  
" You and I, Taichi. Certainly staying in Payon is unstrategic, seeing as so many tragic events have occured here. And since you still need a guide-"  
  
" I-" Taichi cut off. He held his lips apart for a moment, as if something had forced him to interupt in the first place. He didn't feel he had the right to argue after Yamato saved him... He went back to eating. " Sorry about that."  
  
Yamato, however, was surprised. He had expected the brunette to object. He changed his gaze to Taichi's mother, who was in deep thought. After several minutes, she sighed.  
  
" I suppose you want to know the story as well, seeing as you've involved yourself in this."  
  
After their meal, Taichi's mother asked them to wait at the table. When she returned from putting their dishes away, she sat down in front of them.  
  
" Many generations ago, our family was the leading cause for the outbreak's end. The war 1,000 years ago ended because..." she paused, wondering how to phrase the next words, " Your great ancestor and several of his companions sealed the MVPs, to make it simple.... thus bringing peace back to Midgard."  
  
" And now that the MVPs are back, they're out to get revenge on the Yagamis? What about the others?" Yamato asked.  
  
" They had no heirs for their families, so their name carried on no further," she answered, " Although this does not necessarily mean that only the Yagamis are involved in this current dilemma. Surely, there is something more..."  
  
' Why didn't they just finish me off when they captured me?' Taichi wondered, remembering the Payon Dungeon incident.  
  
" The MVPs probably want to find out why you're a threat to them... that's why they don't want to cause extra damage to you yet."  
  
Taichi gulped at the last word.  
  
" I knew about this when I married your father, Taichi... I, as well as the others who have married the Yagami family over the past generations, we all knew. I would have never thought that it would be a problem at this time, though..."  
  
" So the MVPs must be sealed again, right?" Yamato suggested. " Maybe they're the key to finding Ymir." Yamato told her of Ymir's disappearance and the quest to find him.  
  
" There's no guarantee," the mother pondered, " that the MVPs have ANY connections to Ymir."  
  
" We don't know unless we try," Taichi said.  
  
" We'll have to meddle with the MVPs sooner or later, anyway. Their occurence isn't natural," Yamato added statistically.  
  
" Are they not natural?" Taichi's mother said calmly. " Who is to say whether they are a normal part of life or not? They are living beings like we are. Their actions are unforgiveable, but aren't ours too? Look how much land our race alone takes..."  
  
Yamato nodded. " You're right on that... but they still need to be sealed if we want to survive. We have to maintain the balance between humans and MVPs, lest the MVPs will completely destroy mankind."  
  
" That may be natural, too... the destruction of mankind..."  
  
" You're thinking too much, mother... it's scaring me."  
  
She shook her head. " I'm sorry, I got a little deep there. Better to be optimistic and live in the now, ne?"  
  
Yamato sweatdropped, a tad irked at the sudden change of outlook.  
  
" Well, I'm going to stay at the Archer guild and continue to work at the weaponry shop. I bid you luck on your mission, boys."  
  
That took a while for Taichi to process. When he finally did, he uttered, " W-what?"  
  
" You're going to search for Ymir and battle against the MVPs, aren't you?" she explained, " You've grown up, Taichi. It's time to seek your path in life. You DO want to do this, don't you? I can see it in your eyes."  
  
Something inside Yamato stirred. His Angelband twitched again. Why were these decisions affecting him so much?  
  
" Yes, I do want to go... I'll miss you, mom."  
  
Would it matter? Why was Yamato feeling so concerned earlier? He felt relieved now, but was that because of Taichi?  
  
" All right," he said, " Let's get going to Morroc."  
  
Taichi hugged his mother... and took quite a while for Yamato tapped Taichi's shoulder to indicate that they should leave. The more experienced archer took the opportunity to take a good look at Taichi.  
  
He was surprised at himself as he noticed how handsome and cute the brunette was... did he really just think that?!?  
  
' It can't be...' I've lived my life alone, I can't be wanting something else now...' he chastised silently.  
  
As they left Taichi's home, he still had trouble denying it, however...  
  
****  
  
" Takuya's fine on his own, so we should try helping out in the pyramids."  
  
" How many MVPs are there?"  
  
Yamato gasped. Of all things to ask... Well... it's conversation...  
  
" Um... a lot... and there's probably many that we're not aware of yet. Some of the ones near Morroc include Osiris, Pharoah... um..."  
  
" One has been plenty enough for me... and I haven't even met one. Just its followers," Taichi said.  
  
" Neither have I."  
  
Taichi seemed bemused at the confession. " Really?"  
  
" Well, there's one thing we can relate with," Yamato said, looking off in the distance. " Ready for the Pyramids? There's some pretty scary stuff there."  
  
Taichi's Kittyband stood up to its full height. " Yah!!!" he shouted... perhaps a little too enthusiastically.  
  
****  
  
They went up and down the pyramid all day. Taichi wanted to know what was on every floor of the pyramid (Yamato restricted him to the middle levels, for he feared what was on the more unexplored levels). They encountered mummies, skeletons and ghouls galore, coupled with the occasionnal naked Isis. Naked as a woman with a snake abdomen...  
  
All in all, it was a tiring day, with all sorts of struggles. Seriously, two average archers would have had a death wish to enter the basements of the pyramids, but Taichi and Yamato had managed to live through the 2nd level. Of course, there were various Knights, Assassins and the Hunters there to help them when more than one monster attacked them... but it was difficult for 1st classmen.  
  
Taichi's first impression of Morroc wasn't half bad, either. In this particular area and time period of Sograt Desert, the climate wasn't so dry... and it was actually quite moderate. The midday was slightly unbearable, but the evenings were so perfect...  
  
Large, sandy inns were available for the many travellers coming through Morroc. There was an even balance of economy in this city; one could find a huge assortment of weapons, jewels... or anything else imaginable...  
  
" We'll stick with a middle-class inn... I don't know how long we're staying," Yamato commented as they gazed at the building in front of them. " Let's check this one out."  
  
It was cozy inside, fluffy pillows seeming like simply decorations on the bed. Taichi jumped right in after preparing for the night, then proceeded to roll over to give Yamato some space.  
  
Taichi quite easily slipped an arm around Yamato's side as they settled in. Yamato tensed, but quickly got over his instincts.  
  
" Yamato... I have a question to ask..."  
  
" Hmm? Then ask it."  
  
" Um..." Taichi shifted, adjusting his weight to ease his other arm. " How long have you been living like this?"  
  
" I'm fifteen years old... what more is there?"  
  
" I mean... have you always been wandering around Midgard like this? Never staying in one place for long and hunting to keep a living?"  
  
" Isn't that kind of what you did at home when you say hunting? Hunt Willow all day to keep a living?"  
  
" I was slowly making my way out of Payon..."  
  
" Heh... I just sped things up, then. And you can answer the question yourself."  
  
" Yeah..." Taichi then realized the subject had inadvertedly changed. He still had no clearer idea of Yamato's motives. " Yama, what's the deal with the Falconry Festival? They said you used to be a part of them..." He regretted asking the moment it popped out of his mouth. He didn't mean to be blunt with his questions.  
  
" It's better to sleep, Taichi..."  
  
That ended their talk for the night. Taichi settled in, slightly troubled that Yamato was angry at him. He tried his best to implement his empathy... but he wasn't sure if he could sleep himself. But one never notices when he falls asleep...  
  
****  
  
They carried on in Morroc for several weeks. Each day, they would do something new; some days they would explore the basement of the pyramids, and on other days, they would go to higher levels. Taichi never got tired of it; he was too thrilled at the wonders in the city to think otherwise. During their break times, he was almost always browsing through the hundreds of merchant shops throughout the area... even though it was rather far away from Prontera, it was still considered a center town. Every which way would lead to a dungeon or other major city.  
  
" It's only the southwest region that remains unexplored. There's evidence that something lays there, but nobody has found out how to access the area."  
  
" Huh? Is there some kind of magical barrier hiding it or something? Why not just break it down?" Taichi asked.  
  
" Well, it's not exactly a physical barrier that's the problem... it's getting through the other obstacles. No one has made it complete there to find the new land beyond that area. The monsters are vicious and mysterious there."  
  
Yamato peered at the person suspiciously.  
  
" Oh, don't worry. I'm just a city guide. I hear the hottest news around the town from the fighters themselves as they rest here."  
  
Taichi took new interest in this tall, formally clothed man. He was covered in a brown suit and a tall cap, a spear in his right hand. He looked like a dull toy soldier.  
  
" Are there group parties being sent out to conquest area?" Yamato queried. The guide nodded. " Where do we sign up to join?"  
  
" You guys? No way! The minimum requirement is to be a second class. Even then, there are certain things you need to survive there. By the time you guys are prepared, the new area will probably have settlements already. A lot of second classmen have gathered here in the past few days."  
  
The blonde made a sound of dejection. Taichi glanced at him, contemplating. Why did Yamato take such sudden interest in the conquest?  
  
" Thanks for the information," Yamato said shortly before brushing Taichi's shoulder. " Let's go back to the Pyramids."  
  
****  
  
Yamato fought more fiercely than ever at the Pyramids following that incident. He was fighting so well that Taichi had trouble keeping up. The Undead canine Verit who tried to loot the remains of the monsters in the dungeon were quickly slaughtered by Yamato's silver arrows. He didn't seem to be angry at anything or anyone, but something was still occupying his mind.  
  
Taichi could feel the tension everywhere they went. He wanted to ask Yamato what was troubling him, but he feared Yamato would give him the cold shoulder again.  
  
As he watched Yamato release his emotions on passing monsters, he made his observations. Even if he was fighting strongly, Yamato was making himself vulnerable. He was clearly open for a mental attack, and Taichi had to take advantage of it. At least the brunette wouldn't use it to hurt the other Archer. He knew his new option... he needed to be assertive.  
  
Goddess of Strength, let me show you my courage.  
  
Yamato's more-than-usual energy drained him earlier that day, which fit right into Taichi's wishes. Yamato flopped onto their bed that night, mind immediately set to sleep, but Taichi had something else in mind.  
  
As usual, he wrapped his arms around Yamato and snuggled in. " Yamato... you're hiding things from me."  
  
" Because it's none of your business," Yamato murmurred, distaste growing in his voice.  
  
" It IS my business. Whatever's bogging up your mind is affecting what we do, and it's not fair for me. Tell me what's going on, Yama."  
  
Yamato didn't stir. They layed there for several minutes, Taichi patiently waiting until he decided that the blonde wasn't going to answer. " Yama..."  
  
" Don't call me that," he said gruffly, yet softly. He shifted so that he was staring up at the ceiling. " Taichi... I... I've never told anyone about my past because I don't want it to affect those around me."  
  
" But it IS affecting me... because it's bothering you. It'd help to talk about it."  
  
" Why should you care? I don't get you..."  
  
Taichi could hear the frustration in Yamato's words. " For one thing, you're not fighting as you normally do, which throws off my rhythm... but other than that... I don't know. Just tell me, Yama.  
  
The blonde didn't seem to care about the name this time.  
  
" You're not going to give up, are you..."  
  
Taichi smiled into Yamato's back. " Nnn."  
  
So Yamato gave in. He told Taichi of his past, of the suffering he endured as a natural-born Hunter. Being one didn't sound bad... but in reality, all other Hunter classmen looked down upon them. Perhaps it was envy; natural Hunters are pure-bred, they have 100% capability born within them, let alone what personal motivation would bring.  
  
Yamato's unchangeable ability hindered his social standing. His family had forced him to attend novice training in his early years. The other children pointed at his young falcon. They were scared of it, afraid of such a different being in their premesis. The poor, young Yamato didn't understand why his peers would turn him away when he approached them, little Hawkes chirping on his shoulder.  
  
" Hey guys, I just taught Hawkes a really neat-"  
  
" Get that bird AWAY from me!"  
  
" Eww! Germs!"  
  
" Why don't you go play with your pet somewhere else?"  
  
As he grew older, he came to the answer that he wasn't good enough for his peers. One random day, he packed up enough supplies to let him survive on his own and he left Payon. He had no one to say farewell to except his younger brother, who was too young to know or care about the news. He knew his parents didn't care... they put all of their attention to Takeru, the first in his family to break out of the natural Hunter's curse. A falcon was not born with him.  
  
He remembered struggling as Taichi had in the beginning; even the simple Spore was a challenge. When he had become skilled enough, he joined the Falconry Festival, which provided a wealthy accommodation with its income. He had hoped that he would be accepted with his skills... yeah, right.  
  
It was no different than at novice training... people made fun of his Archer clothing, and nobody sought to spend time with him. Hawkes would often get bullied by the other falcons, and after one life-threatening incident, Yamato could take it no longer. He would rather struggle in the wild terrain than suffer such tyranny.  
  
And he was much happier that way. He travelled all around the world, discovering the ups and downs of every place and gaining more experience than he ever could at the Falconry Festival.  
  
He didn't need anyone to survive. He didn't want to settle anywhere... he couldn't depend on anyone. And in return, no one tried. He thought he could be satisfied with that.  
  
" A new settlement brings new permanent jobs, and a home..." Yamato said to complete his story. He let Taichi figure out the rest.  
  
" You want a home..." Taichi said softly. His arms curled around the blonde more securely, hoping to give his comfort.  
  
" I..." Caught up in his emotions, Yamato turned over and buried himself in Taichi's embrace. He was shaking, finally releasing what had been building up inside him for the past years. Taichi could only remain still, until he thought of something. He had seen his parents use this, but he had never tried it himself. But...  
  
" Yamato," he started, pulling back ever so slightly. " Is it okay if I try something? It might... might make you feel better."  
  
The blonde found no reason to argue. He stared into the Archer's eyes with his full trust. Taichi seemed more nervous than usual when he asked this...  
  
" Promise me you won't be afraid of what I do," Taichi said, " It's a much stronger form of empathy, but it's less often used for obvious reasons."  
  
Yamato glanced at the face in front of him. " I promise. What reasons?"  
  
" Let me show you."  
  
All of a sudden, Yamato could see the complete softness behind Taichi's eyes as they bored into him. Awestruck, he barely noticed when Taichi placed a hand on his cheek. As the brunette continued to get closer until their noses were touching, he paused. Taichi waited for a response, and all Yamato could do was close his eyes and take it.  
  
High heaven of the gods... he had never felt anything so tender and caressing, loving and thoughtful. Taichi's lips on his felt more wonderful than anything he had ever experienced. Oh, gods... Yes... this was what he wanted. The summit of his life was...  
  
He was thoroughly enjoying himself for just a few moments when Taichi broke the gesture. Yamato opened his eyes and found the brunette's expression unreadable.  
  
A curse word flowed under Yamato's breath. ' Was that all just empathy, or...' He didn't know.  
  
" Aa..." Taichi said, creating a noise without using his vocal chords. " I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so... perhaps I'm not ready for that form of empathy. My skills are still developing..."  
  
Now Yamato was confused. Then what were those feelings? If they weren't from empathy, then... but he couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was really Taichi's feelings that were flowing into him, or...  
  
" Let's just go to sleep, Yama."  
  
Unsure of what else he should say, Yamato answered with a slow grunt. " Yeah... good night, Taichi."  
  
" ...Good night." Taichi placed his arm back over Yamato's side, gripping less than he usually did.  
  
A great weight had been lifted off of Yamato's shoulders, but now it seemed he had a different one to replace it.  
  
****  
  
Can I say... angst? XD Oops.  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	8. Weapon vs Weapon

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 8: Weapon vs. Weapon  
****  
  
Updated the 1st chapter information again. XD  
  
Apparently, some people think I'm a newbie to the game... I assure you, no way in hell am I n00b. =D It may just seem like that because Taichi is a newbie in the beginning of the game, and even though Yamato talks big, he actually has a long way to go as well. I played iRO for 2 months, cRO for 6 months, and my current private server for over a year. While I wasn't around for the insanity of alpha pawnage, I know enough to be a GM (wouldn't want to be one without my dear Serg, though XD). It's just my personal issues that keep me from being one. XD; Currently, we're on a mission to get a +10 Formal Suit to be a Dark Lord Card on. Statistically, it takes 2605 tries to get +10.... 2605 Formal Suits.... and that's only statistically. If upgrading fails on the way to +10 (Upgrading equipment is 100% guaranteed up to +4, and then the rates drop exponentially), the Formal Suit disappears completely. Plus, Formal Suits can't be bought anywhere, only certain monsters drop them rarely. _; Upgrading is depressing.  
  
Lots of good reviews! Lots of stuff I want to answer =D  
  
Sillie: Yama has more in store for him... */gg*  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: Continuing! =3  
  
Catgirl Rahen: Solely agree with that. Happy endings *_*;  
  
KawaiiKaren: "That would be fun if Takuya ran into Kouji that doesn't matter and Kouji wants to rape him or something." Tbbthh! You have no idea how close that is to what I had been plotting. *huggles you for the thought*. XD I haven't planned any more parts with Takeru/Hikari or Sora/Mimi, but it sounds plausible =3 I really like your random thinking. ^_^  
  
Dragi: Lots of Takuya, yes!  
  
sakura blossoms4: Thanks!  
  
SmileyYaoiChick: Lol, if I could, I'd stay up to 3-6 am every day reading yaoi fics. Confession... I did that quite often during the summer... _ It was almost sinful... but sooo worth it!   
  
Lady Moon3: Indeed a good question to ponder. XD Record? How long can I keep it?  
  
Linnda: Yes, I want to write more scenes like that one in the end of 7... I will! XD  
  
Mireya-chan: Wow, I'm honored to have your first review! *glomps* Thank you so much!  
  
Keiito Ishida: Sora~~~~ =3 Yes, Taito is best! XD Hope you have fun.  
  
Devina: I added a few elements to let the plot move. About the talking, I assume a majority have the ability since pets have the ability to talk at intimate level (and damn, they're LOUD and BLABBY @_@).  
  
Kail-chan: I know Stilettos are in Morroc, but Taichi also made it quite clear that he had never been outside Payon. I know from experience that kind of n00bieism that Taichi had... I stayed in Payon for my first month in RO because I didn't KNOW anything about the other cities. It wasn't until the friends I met in iRO invited me to warp hop with them to Geffen that I found out that I had a lot to learn.  
  
To make things clear... things I HAVE added that are not in-game:  
-Players attempting to PVP outside PVP fields.  
-Ritual for compounding cards (can't say Yamato double-clicked it, can we?)  
-Natural Hunters don't exist in RO.  
-Guild explanation is a little warped.  
-Falconry Festival doesn't happen in RO.  
-The Comodo Rush is simply a plot device for WFT. RO is constantly getting new maps added to the game, and this is just my take for people trying to flood to them to explore. Glast Heim (an older update) is probably a bigger addition to the game since some areas in it are more difficult, but Taichi/Takuya-tachi aren't ready for it. xD  
-3-slotted Katars are a specialty in the server I play in. They only have up to 2 slots in official RO servers.  
-Some MVP powers, specifically Moonlight's.  
-Heaven's Drive doesn't attack Ice Wall anymore on most RO servers, I hear. Doesn't make sense, though. -.-  
  
Game explanation corner: The only thing that dodges Critical hits are Perfect Dodge.  
Lex Divina: Silences opponents.  
  
****  
  
~Ants can be horrific creatures, as mindless as they are~  
  
****  
  
Takuya didn't think he would return to Morroc as early as he did. He came back in a very different condition as well...  
  
Where was he supposed to start? He had no idea... surely picking on Picky wasn't the path to becoming an Assassin.  
  
He visited the last area he and Kouji had occupied, surprised to see that the area was newly renovated and that merchants had set up shop there. In fact, much of the city was occupied now. How did Morroc change so drastically in the course of a few days? He didn't want to spend much time pondering that, so he went to the place he always traveled to when exchanging Picky feathers. Fortunately, he found familiar faces there.  
  
' At least this hasn't changed...'  
  
" Takuya! It's been a while. Something going on?" the owner of the shop greeted.  
  
" Yes... I need to know where one becomes an Assassin," he said, cutting straight down to business.  
  
The other customers jerked their heads to stare at him. The store owner gaped. Immediately, Takuya began having second thoughts... Had he said something wrong?  
  
" Are you... joining the Comodo Rush?" the store owner said apprehensively.  
  
" What's the Comodo Rush?"  
  
" Oh, oh," the tall man behind the counter tottered a bit, showing great relief. " Maybe you haven't heard. A path to a new area has been discovered southwest of Morroc. 2nd class parties are forming all around this city to conquer it. There will be a vast chance of prosperity with this discovery..." He played with his beard, deep in thought, " Only the strongest will make it..."  
  
" Strong..." Takuya repeated, savoring the word. " No, I have different reasons for becoming an Assassin. Where might I do that?"  
  
" The Assassin Guild is southeast of here, quite aways. Just follow the Hode and you'll find find a large pyramidal building. They're gigantic sand worms, basically. I'd be extremely careful, though. Assassins don't have a reputation for being kind creatures."  
  
" Hmm..."  
  
Compared to Payon, Takuya's voyage to the Assassin Guild was uneventful... in most ways. He found Hode creatures quickly... they traveled under the sand peacefully. However, there were many people around attacking them, provoking them to pop out of the ground to retaliate. Giant sand worms...  
  
However, the Hode weren't living long enough to lead Takuya in a decent direction, so he stressed that he wasn't going to the right way. Within time, he could see the pyramidal building in the distance. Walloping for joy, he ran all the way to the pyramid's first steps.  
  
He caught a glimpse of an Assassin killing off a Hode trying to get into the Pyramid. The Assassin attacked with enormous speed, weilding two daggers in his hands. Takuya proceeded up the stairs.  
  
He was about to enter inside the pyramid's opening at the top, but- a blade at his neck arrested him.  
  
" I'll make this quick and painless. What's your purpose here?" a feminine voice growled behind him.  
  
Takuya felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise where the voice impacted him.  
  
" I'm here to become an Assassin," he stated nervously.  
  
" Why?" It was more like a command than a query.  
  
" So I can face up to the Moonlight and... save someone."  
  
The other was silent. She had sensed his hesitation, and Takuya had sensed her sense.  
  
" A lover."  
  
" That's more like it." She withdrew the blade from what Takuya could tell was a Gladius, a weapon slightly weaker than his Damascus, but more versatile. " No vacancy," she said simply, twirling the weapon around her finger several times before stuffing it into the sheath on her belt. The wind from the high elevation swayed her long, blue ponytail. She looked vaguely familiar...  
  
" Huh?"  
  
" This guild doesn't have any more room for Assassins," she explained, " Try a different class."  
  
She tilted a hand to her hip and started to walk into the building past him.  
  
Takuya hadn't even thought of this possibility, but now that he was aware of it, it angered him. " I can't do that," Takuya growled, clenching his fists.  
  
She cocked her head and looked down; Takuya looked quite small compared to the older lady. She gave him a half-amused smile. " Then what can you do? The only way to get in the guild is if someone else quits or if you qualify over someone."  
  
" Then I'll do that! I'll qualify over someone!" Takuya barked, " Like you!"  
  
The female would have been fine with the other comments, but that last one...  
  
" I dare you to try it," she said, a low grumbling in her voice. " Right now, you and me."  
  
" Aa!" Takuya agreed, fire in his eyes. He brought his oldest and most trusted Damascus out of its sheath and lunged towards the female Assassin.  
  
She vanished before his eyes. The Thief didn't even have time to react-- the blade was at his neck again. Not to be taken by by the same trap a second time, he forcefully pulled back and bumped into her. With one massive movement, he slashed horizontally as he turned around.  
  
But something seemed wrong, he realized. He felt an overwhelming gust in his mind; he could sense it... every bit of the gap between him and the female Assassin. It was as if they had different time senses, as if his was constantly in slow motion and the female was able to see it as so.  
  
She flipped backwards, dodging the blade by a good several feet, and got back on her feet, unfazed as ever.  
  
" Now you see the difference between us," she said knowingly, putting her Gladius away. " That was my slowest weapon, by the way."  
  
The SLOWEST? Takuya could hardly believe it. It thoroughly pissed him off. Was he really that far away compared to Kouji?  
  
" 'Che-" Enranged, he launched out again, this time holding his Buckler in his left hand.  
  
Again she dodged, and again, and again. She was getting slightly annoyed at his persistance.  
  
" Hey, kid," she started to say. The last thing she expected was Takuya throwing his Buckler, spike and all, at her like a shuriken. Even though it was a massive object, Takuya had no problem concentrating his power and accuracy on her. It scraped her side. " Wha..."  
  
He didn't stop there, as the feeling he had encountered in Payon Dungeon overtook him. When he had fought that blue Munak...  
  
Slash! Slash! Slash! Three slices across her abdomen revealing skin underneath bandaged material. She stared in shock. Gritting her teeth, she pulled a sword sheathed on her back...  
  
It was so quick, even Takuya had not seen her draw it; the sword was pointed at him.  
  
" Pretty good speed you showed there," she complimented. " You'd fare well against average 2nd classmen."  
  
" Including you?"  
  
She smiled. " I'm not average, hun. I just pretend to be when I can. By the way, the name is Tsunade. What's yours?"  
  
" Takuya."  
  
" Oh yeah... to be honest, I'm not in the Assassin Guild... I mean, I'm not a part of it. It's standard for all classmen to start in their respective class guilds before they prove themselves better fit for a different guild.  
  
" There are other guilds?" Takuya asked, bewildered.  
  
Tsunade scratched her long, pony-tailed hair atop of her scalp. " Well, yah... the starting limit to a guild is 16 people. The classmen guilds don't have limits because they recruit anyone who meets the requirements.  
  
The brunette frowned. ' She sooo lied to me before. I'm so naïve...'  
  
" You might want to train a bit more, however. You barely meet the Assassin requirements."  
  
" You said I'd do well against average 2nd classmen! Who are you to judge me?" Takuya said, defiancy still in his attitude. Tsunade simply ignored it.  
  
" You might not like me now for telling you this, but if you want to become more than the average 2nd classman, follow my advice. Say, do you want to join the Comodo Rush? It's the perfect opportunity to boost your strength."  
  
" Yeah, right," he muttered, " Only 2nd classmen are allowed to go there anyhow."  
  
" That's what THEY say," she said, curling the ends of her lips. " I met a fiesty bunch of people who came here from Geffen. It's a strange mix of people, but I'm sure they'd want to have a Thief in their group. Go before they take off! To Morroc!"  
  
" Hmm?"  
  
Even before he consented, Tsunade grabbed him and tore her way down the pyramid.  
  
****  
  
" You again!"  
  
Takuya started wide-eyed at the accusing finger from the female Archer in front of him.  
  
" You're..."  
  
" Izumi! How can you forget my name?!?"  
  
" You don't seem to remember mine."  
  
" Of course I don't!"  
  
" ..."  
  
But then he recognized the two Wizards in the corner of the assembled group, Junpei and Tomoki.  
  
" We don't have any Acolytes with us so we'll have to take some precautions," the leading Wwordsman noted. " Although these two Wizards here have Healing Clips. It's enough to keep themselves alive, at least... even as 2nd class, Wizards aren't well-suited for aggressive monsters.  
  
Junpei pouted. " That's why we're stuck with guys like you... we're not good enough on our own yet. Peh."  
  
" I don't believe we've had a proper introduction, even though I've been on your team before," Takuya offered, laying out a hand towards the slightly shorter swordsman. " I'm Takuya."  
  
" Shinya," the other said, accepting the handshake. " Welcome to the party. Come and go as you like. We're all in this together eventually, anyway."  
  
Suddenly, a wave of complaining traveled through the crowd around them. Takuya looked to see many large ice stalagmites surrounding the group like a dungeon.  
  
" Hey! Quit the Ice Walling! I'm trying to get through! I can't move!" was the general gidst of what they were saying.  
  
Junpei sighed. " Tomoki..."  
  
" Sorry! I couldn't help it! I love doing this!"  
  
" Wait for the battlefield, kid." With that, the older Wizard flapped his hand towards the ground near the Ice Wall and called out, " Heaven's Drive!"  
  
The ground jutted upwards, almost like an earthquake, interupting the work of the ice, which evaporated more quickly than usual. Relieved, the crowd continued on.  
  
The Swordsman eyed a group of second classmen heading south. " We better go fast before everyone else beats us. We may not be first to reach whatever's in Comodo, but it'll be a waste to miss out."  
  
Takuya, however, wasn't paying attention. He was making his own observations... The Merchant selling Flu Masks, people begging to be healed, the person offering money for a tanker... the fact that Shinya looked very much like him when he was younger..  
  
" Sigh... I wish Kouichi would keep his promises, it's gonna struggle without an Aco..."  
  
Takuya blinked and looked away, a figment of memory pressuring him. Kouichi... with Kouji... how had that happened?  
  
He raised a lightly calloused hand to his forehead.  
  
" Something wrong, Takuya? We're moving out now," Shinya queried. Izumi and the other female Archer were loudly gossiping as they sailed through the Morroc crowds.  
  
Takuya shook his head. " No... I'm fine..." Kouji, oh Kouji...  
  
****  
  
" Moonlight, my mistress..."  
  
" Don't call me mistress, because I'm NOT Mistress. That cocky bee..." the yellow figure chastised, sitting lazily on a temple statue. " Well, beauty IS only skin deep. As are all of her Hornet kind."  
  
" Moonlight..."  
  
" Yes, I know. You failed to bring the boy, didn't you?" She closed her eyes in contempt, resting her head on her plush-gloved wrist.  
  
The Assassin and Priest before her bowed their heads, kneeling. " That is correct," the Priest confirmed.  
  
" In the end, all of you humans will be gone, you know that? You should be glad I even bothered to spare you two. But there are things I expect in return..." Her legs were crossed as she laid back, immersed in the almighty stance. " You can't even bring one human to me..."  
  
" Moonlight, we were ambused on our return here. The boy has protectors."  
  
Moonlight looked at the two in front of her with a strange tint in her crystal blue eyes, which shined brightly in the dark depths of the cave. Her foxlike ears twitched. " Protectors... then get rid of them."  
  
" Yes, Moonlight."  
  
" Hurry and get out of my sight before I sic a Ninetail on you."  
  
" Yes, Moonlight."  
  
" But before you leave... it would be best if I polished my tools. Come here, boys. I have presents."  
  
She ruled a large amount of Payon Dungeon, the center abandonned shrine being her living room...  
  
Casual, sleek, foxy, thrifty, young. Only those who have met her and lived to tell about it knew her innocence was merely a façade...  
  
****  
  
" Hey, wasn't there another Thief with you?" Izumi asked. For the moment, the group was walking through an ancient temple of sand. " What happened to him?"  
  
Seeing as they had not done anything but walk endlessly for the past hour, Takuya told them his story starting from Payon.  
  
" Aww... poor thing," the two Archers cooed at the same time.  
  
" I'm pretty pissed at Moonlight... she's definitely not going to like my comeback..."  
  
The small wizard Tomoki looked at him worriedly.  
  
" I doubt you'll be able to take her down by yourself, no matter how strong you get."  
  
" Who are you to say that about me?" Takuya retorted, clearly indicating his rudeness.  
  
" You didn't go with us to the 3rd floor of Geffen Tower, did you? We met Doppelganger up there..."  
  
" Who?"  
  
" They wouldn't even allow us to go NEAR him," Izumi said, pouting. " But I guess it was okay since Doppie-chan was beating on Sefirot. Hehe."  
  
" Doppelganger," Junpei added, sounding like an automaton, " One of the most vicious MVPs on record. He looks just like an average swordsman, but he can kill like no tomorrow. No one knows what his true appearance his is... if he HAS one."  
  
" He was known to kill thousands daily in the last war," the small wizard continued, " If it hadn't been for the female wizard's Ice Wall, we would have all died. That's what I'm learning Ice Wall now. It's so useful!"  
  
" Heh," Junpei mused, " Jupitel Thunder is more versatile in the end. Once I get more dex, it's all over for the losers."  
  
" It sucks right now, though."  
  
" Shut up, Tomoki."  
  
Takuya smiled, enjoying the Wizard's idle argument. He could finally see the opening to the huge temple, too. It was still bright outside, but now he could see clear evidence of vegetation from the green tint. Would the monsters be tamer? Or more vicious... his skin tingled to find out. Every step got him closer to Kouji, even if it meant increasing the physical gap between them...  
  
****  
  
He didn't have to wait long to find out. As soon as they passed the crevice, the other female Archer (Melissa) shrieked as something grabbed her shoulders and pulled her off the ground.  
  
A huge creature with giant talons, bird-like features and a lion's abdomen... a Gryphon.  
  
Melissa struggled frantically, bringing her arms up to hit the furred monster. The others just gaped for a moment, when Takuya noticed something else...  
  
There were other flying creatures weilding bows and arrows in the back... In a flash, he brought his Buckler out and ran in front of the group-- just in time to block an onslaught of arrows. Shinya snapped out of his amazed trance at the sound of arrows clanging against metal, then brought out his own shield.  
  
" I'll hold them off, you guys save Melissa!"  
  
Takuya took out his most trustworthy Damascus out once more and lunged forward. The flying creatures didn't even notice him closing in; their large watery eyes were fixated on seemingly nothing. Slashing through its stomach, slashing through the neck... the creature's head literally popped off and disappeared as if it had been deflated. It was a bit amusing...  
  
The Wizards were too occupied healing Melissa to have time to set up their usual battle plan. The Gryphon's talons were digging deep into her shoulders, and although she came out unscratched because of the heals, it didn't block the pain she was in...  
  
Izumi desperately shot at the Gryphon, but none of the arrows seemed to hit... the Gryphon had tough skin. Insanely tough... even a direct hit from Shinya's sword was weak on it. He kept hitting however, in hope...  
  
The other flying creatures (Gargoyles) were taken down easily, and seeing Melissa in trouble, he slashed at the Gryphon. He couldn't break through either... it irritated him. In frustration, he yanked the Gryphon's lion-like tail with such force that the Gryphon squawked, releasing its talons. Melissa quickly made her distance from the immense danger. She brought out her own bow and retaliated, standing side-to-side with Izumi.  
  
Free from healing, the Wizards set up their battle layout. Junpei's Jupitel Thunder casting was slow, but it allowed time for the other team members to react. Takuya and Shinya stayed closer to the Wizards just as Tomoki spread Ice Walls around the Gryphon. It seemed they would be safe for the moment...  
  
****  
  
A sharpened blade, a washed surface, a refined shine...  
  
The dark-haired Assassin glorified the beauty of his new Katar, a permanent gift from his master. Moonlight had boasted about the quality of the weapons specifically, saying the Soldier Skeletons in her lair had personally supplied the cards compounded onto it.  
  
The Triple Critical Katar... Crit Katar for short. Moonlight had also supplied them with various other equipment to give them more power. Moonlight gave Kouichi and Kouji an outlandish explanation about critical hits.  
  
" They pierce through defense. They deal the maximum amount of damage every time. Best thing... crits rarely miss."  
  
He wanted to test it. He wanted to know how powerful he could be, what limits he could breach. What he could do... but he didn't feel that there was anything worthy to fight him in Moonlight's lair except Moonlight herself... which he should not have been thinking about in the first place.  
  
" Moonlight, permission to test these on a challenge," he said in bleak, open area of the cave.  
  
" Permission granted. In fact, I know the perfect place... Kouichi, go with him."  
  
" Where would this place be?" Kouichi asked, sitting up from his kneeling position.  
  
" It's far away from here, but I'm sure you can handle it," she materialized seemingly out of nowhere, lifting a hand. " Say hello to Gryphon for me. Bring me a pair of his talons. I need some jewelry." With that command, she snapped her fingers, smirking as the two males disappeared in front of her.  
  
****  
  
They had been smacking around the monster for a good half hour with no progress. Magic seemed to be the only thing doing any damage at all. Tomoki was too occupied with Ice Walls to attack. Junpei's Thunder attacks had little effect on the bird, despite the monstrocity of the electricity. None of the weapons could harm it...  
  
Since Takuya's daggers couldn't reach it, he had to resort to throwing rocks. He didn't want to be useless, and at least the rocks didn't just bounce off like most of the arrows did. He just wanted to move on...  
  
Suddenly, the monster yelped, its beak opening larger than ever. Something was on its back, hindering its flight. The wings wouldn't support it anymore, and it clattered to the ground, still surrounded by Ice Walls.  
  
Takuya couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
" Gryphon found," one of the persons on the monster stated dully. " Go ahead, sin."  
  
Kouji rose from a crouched position, as if he was sprouting out of a flower, his weapons lying across his chest.  
  
" Triple Crit..." the Assassin mumbled. Everybody could clearly tell... he wanted to kill.  
  
It was Takuya who couldn't take it. The feeling was so familiar, so welcome, yet so undesired...  
  
" Ahh!" the brunette wailed, tending to his stinging head. He wasn't just shocked to see Kouji, his aura was affecting him... However, he was able to watch as the Assassin faced up to the Gryphon and start tearing the beast apart...  
  
Feathers and blood flew... the Gryphon's skin was like poultry meat to Kouji's Katars. The Gryphon struggled against him, trying to bite his arm off, but Kouji easily sliced its neck, rendering his offense dead. The Gryphon wouldn't live much longer.  
  
Takuya watched in horror as Kouji butchered one of the Gryphon's limbs, grabbing the bloody talons with one swift movement.  
  
The Assassin stood up slowly, changing his gaze from the dying Gryphon to Shinya's group. The bottom half of his face was covered by a mask... covered in red stain. He caught Takuya's eye.  
  
Takuya shrank back... never had he felt more intimidated in all of his life. He completely forgot his other team members... all he could recognize was the immediate threat. Then, he saw the Ice Wall surrounding Kouji and the Priest. He had a chance.  
  
The Thief bolted in the opposite direction. The Assassin moved at that split second, viciously slashing through the Ice Wall. It was tough ice, however. Tomoki made a small noise and thickened the Ice Wall. Whoever the newcomers were, they had stolen their kill and he wanted revenge. He didn't know how deadly the duo could be to other humans...  
  
But Shinya's group wasn't their target, the duo recognized. Still within cast range, Kouichi shouted " Lex Divina!" and reached his hand out to everyone outside the wall. Kouji broke through more Ice Walls. Tomoki tried to cast more... but to no avail. His spells simply wouldn't activate.  
  
" What the?" Tomoki exclaimed.  
  
Kouji broke through the last Ice Wall and blasted past the others. Shinya and the others didn't even see him. Kouichi soon followed, easily dodging Shinya's block and moving towards the runaway Thief.  
  
Takuya ran past dozens of exotic trees, passing various monsters that attempted to chase him as well. He could run past those, but he could already see Kouji in his range...  
  
" Shit," he uttered hopelessly. He knew one thing he could do as last measure.  
  
Kouji stopped in his tracks when he blinked and found the brunette out of his sight.  
  
" Kouichi, he went into hiding," he said, analyzing the area.  
  
The Priest didn't even nod back. " Ruwach!" A rush of blue light ran out of his hand, surrounding them like a firey torpedo. The brunette didn't appear.  
  
" Go up farther. He wasn't that far ahead."  
  
Takuya couldn't help breathing heavily. He was going to get caught... While in his Thief's hiding skill, he wasn't able to move around. And that blue light...  
  
He had to run again. He tried...  
  
Kouji had him... He had a hold of his shoulders. Takuya wouldn't be able to do much about it.  
  
And Kouji was still gazing at him with chilling eyes. Still containing life, yet... missing emotion. That hurt beyond all other thoughts... even more than what could happen to him in the hands of the enemy. Kouji had forgotten him. Kouji wasn't himself.  
  
" The location of the Archer named Taichi," Kouichi stated, " We will set you free if you provide us with that information."  
  
" I don't know where he is!" Takuya cried, struggling to get away from the menacing grip. He didn't want to see Kouji like this, have him touching him as he was...  
  
It wouldn't go his way... Kouji shoved him against a thick tree and met face-to-face. Then... neither of them knew how it happened, but somehow... they pulled each other close so the only thing seperating them was Kouji's Assassin mask.  
  
Not far away from the sight, Kouichi clutched his chest. Something was obviously physically paining him as he took a step back to support his abruptly weak legs.  
  
" Retreat. NOW!" the Priest shouted, casting his hand out. " Warp Portal!" A bright pillar of light surrounded Kouji. He disappeared in the pillar, with Kouichi trailing immediately inside.  
  
Takuya was almost tempted to follow them, but the light ceased before he could recuperate from his contact with Kouji. Even though it was hardly real and the mask covered it up, that kiss felt very nice...  
  
He replayed it in his mind-- holding onto the skin-tight bandages on his lithe back, that agile curve carved perfectly at every angle, the heat trapped between their yearning bodies...  
  
Takuya had to hide his blush as his other party members caught up to him.  
  
" Takuya, what was all that about? Who were those guys? Where did they go?" Shinya questioned, blabbing like a maniac. He held a mixed expression of confusion, anger and desperation.  
  
... As did Takuya. " I wish I knew."  
  
****  
  
Sorry if that bored you, it had to be done. ^^; Yaoi content only escalates beyond this point, for fair warning. D Please review!  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	9. Incredulous Error

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 9: Incredulous Error  
****  
  
Mm... 9 chapters and this fic is almost larger than The Bishounen Boys... oh well. TBB is uber condensed. xD  
  
Well, in my personal RO world... it's... over! XD The private server I was playing on (pRO) closed, and I won't be joining another server unless I get full compensation (or GM role), and I doubt either will happen soon. It's fine, at least it helps me find an ending point for this fic. ^^  
  
Dragi: Sorry, Takuya's not in this one, but he'll be in the next. He had quite a lot of highlight in the previous chapter, didn't he? ^^ Thanks, dearie =D *huggles*  
  
Lady Moon: Yay, you figured it out, it's a good sign that I'm not completely out of the loop! *hits herself* This chapter... err... *runs*  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: It's okay if you don't play the game, and I'm very glad you enjoy this fic. ^^  
  
Linnda: *sweatdrop* I'm sorry I can't write faster... If I could, I would write/draw much more than I do currently. |3  
  
kawaiidark: Hehe, the winces are amusing. Hope you like!  
  
KawaiiKaren: Night time is the best time to read yaoi fics. x3~ This being from the person who was up reading SasuNaru at 1 am on a school night ;; They're going to catch up to be when I hit... menopause or something. XD  
  
Rave~n: Hehe, I don't play iRO, I played private server, but I did play iRO before it went pay-to-play. ^^ Ooh, the innocent days... Digimon pwns~  
  
Keiito Ishida (Sora~): Lol, I wish I could find out the viewpoint of reading this fic without prior knowledge of RO, it would help to know how much of it actually makes sense. It's VERY addictive, yes o.o; I can just pray that it doesn't scar you as much as it did to me. RO makes my control-freak tendencies pop out of no where. I never find it worthwhile to do anything unless I excel in it to my own satisfaction.. *eats her Asian-tainted standards*  
  
Beware a slight overhaul of original characters. The curse of plot did it, I swear...!  
  
2-2 classes will be introduced here, so refer to the first chapter if you need any info.  
  
RO facts!  
Doppelganger card : Attack speed +33%  
Phreeoni card: Hit +100  
Baphomet card: Splash damage every hit, Hit -3  
Mutant Dragon card: Attack +50  
Whisper card: Flee +20, +50% damage from Ghost element  
  
****  
  
~Attention: Keyboard not detected. Press F4 to continue~  
  
****  
  
" God DAMN we rock for Archers."  
  
Taichi fell back against the wall of the great pyramid, a bead of sweat traveling down his cheek. They were clearing mobs of Mummies when 2nd classmen were running for their lives. They rarely gave their thanks, naturally... who would want to admit that they were saved by those supposedly weaker than them?  
  
Excellent progress... Yamato considered Taichi to be close to his level, now. He himself had improved quite a bit.  
  
" I bet I could be a Hunter by now," Taichi observed as they went back to their inn for the day.  
  
The blonde Archer next to him visibly stiffened.  
  
Not noticing, Taichi continued. " And then I could rent my own falcon... use traps and all that..."  
  
" Do you want to?" Yamato said, almost inaudible.  
  
Taichi looked at him, oblivious. " Hu?"  
  
" Become a Hunter." His voice was calm, conserved.  
  
Taichi gave off an air as if the answer was supposed to be obvious to the blonde. " Not until you are, of course!"  
  
Yamato didn't reply. A familiar feeling saturated his gut.  
  
The previous night was still clear in his mind. The warmth he had never felt before, a settling comfort calling him...  
  
But Taichi seemed to be unaffected, or he was ignoring the situation altogether. Yamato could guess the latter, but it didn't mean it gave him the ability to bring it to his vocal chords. For one thing, it didn't seem to be an appropriate time... or era. The world was in chaos... his personal problems were piddly excuses for living... right? There was no way he could have a "normal" life with everything going around him.  
  
And the other, the more heart-wrenching reason... he lacked confidence. He lacked a lot of things...  
  
" Hey, when are we ever going to that other place near here? Sphinx, it was called?"  
  
Yamato was slightly grateful for a subject change. " Let's go there."  
  
The brunette blinked, not expecting such a sudden confirmation. They exited the grand structure of the sandy store. " We could take a break first... I'm a bit tired."  
  
Yamato stopped in his tracks. He hadn't even noticed the sweat on his face. " Um, yeah. A break... a break would be nice. We'll go tomorrow, okay?"  
  
" Okay."  
  
****  
  
They wandered into town and were immediately surrounded by the busy activity of the Morroc streets. Taichi found an intriguing merchant store and went over to investigate.  
  
" Mink Coats..." he murmurred, lost in his own world. Yamato smiled faintly; it was so typical, yet so welcome.  
  
This area was a rare open area in the town, with just a few Merchants and 2nd classmen hanging around.  
  
" Hmm... we have a few uber 1sts with us," a deep voice verbalized behind Yamato.  
  
Dark purple robes, bandages... Yamato tensed. But he took a second look... no, it was a different Assassin.  
  
" Stop scaring them, Salamis," another said.  
  
Yamato stared as if his vision was deceiving him. The females here... the two of them had blue, ponytailed hair. One of them was an Assassin, and the other...  
  
" Are you women related to Sakura or Menchi?" he asked, sitting down within their vicinity.  
  
" Yeah, I'm Mrs. Gates, and the 'sin here is Tsunade."  
  
Yamato glanced at Mrs. Gates' dark red robes, high laced boots and the fancy flower cart behind her.  
  
" I'm an Alchemist, if that answers anything," she noted, smirking.  
  
" Yeah..."  
  
" Don't mind Salamis," Tsunade said, her arms crossed, " We just came back from Sphinx."  
  
Normally, Yamato wouldn't have bothered to speak further, but business was essential... " How was it?"  
  
The female Assassin grinned widely. " Great. We got another Pharoah card."  
  
The blonde was almost at a lost for words. " An MVP card..."  
  
" It happens. Hey, is that Archer who's staring into my cart your friend?"  
  
Taichi's Kittyband did a traditional perk. " Hm?"  
  
" Hell," the Alchemist added, " What are your names?"  
  
" I'm Taichi!" the brunette piped before oogling at the cart again.  
  
" Yamato... sorry if Taichi's a bit intrusive..."  
  
" I don't mind. Wanna buy anything?" Mrs. Gates grinned this time.  
  
" We don't have much use for Mink Coats... they're heavy and expensive," Yamato mused, " Have any cards for sale?"  
  
She took a glance behind her, staring x-rays into her cart.  
  
" Whisper, Khalitzburg, Kobold, the works... want to buy a Doppelganger card?" she asked lightly.  
  
Yamato's voice escaped him. " You... have that? Doppel? An MVP card?"  
  
" Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you how many I use myself," Mrs. Gates said, still grinning. " Want one? The price is high, but it's sure as hell worth it."  
  
Yamato concurred, much to Taichi's lack of attentiveness. The Doppelganger card was massively difficult to get, and its powers were awesome-- almost beyond imagination.  
  
" I'll sell it to you for 10 mil," she said as he thought.  
  
" 10 million? It'll take me forever to make that much," Yamato replied, almost angrily. " No one asks for that sum of money."  
  
" No one asks that," the Alchemist corrected, " because the middle economy hasn't been tainted with these beasts lately. I could sell this for over 20 mil easily."  
  
" We know more than you may think, we sisters," Tsunade commented. " Ymir, Ragnarok... we know of it."  
  
For the umpteenth time that day, Yamato was at a loss for words.  
  
" We may be able to kill MVPs over and over, but we'll never be able to seal them for good," Tsunade said with a hint of remorse.  
  
" That responsibility goes to those with the same blood as those who did the job 1000 years ago," Mrs. Gates said. " One of them would be you, Yagami."  
  
Taichi, who did not seem to be paying attention, suddenly made a serious expression. He didn't seem to be surprised that she knew her last name. " I know."  
  
A deep silence hovered over the group. It was a sad fate... a fate... and Yamato felt slightly ashamed that he had hardly considered Taichi's reaction to the sudden burden. Sure, he knew that he himself was somewhat doomed, since he was Taichi's mentor, but...  
  
" My god, these feelings," he began stroking Hawke's proud breast, who crooned in response. It was just one of the ways for him to release stress... Every time he glanced at Taichi, something would turn inside him... and he knew why...  
  
" Take it, Yagami," Mrs. Gates finally said. " You'll need it more than some random rich fellow, anyway."  
  
" ...You would give me such an expensive item?" the Archer in question asked.  
  
" Not for free, of course," Mrs. Gates responded, a slight smirk coming back to her face, " You may have it under the condition that you will only use it to save Midgard. You have many choices ahead of you, Yagami. Follow the best."  
  
" The best... what?"  
  
" Just... the best," Mrs. Gates finished.  
  
Taichi seemed thoroughly confused. " I'm not sure if I should accept this..."  
  
Yamato wanted to say something, to say that it was all right to accept it... but Mrs. Gates stood up first.  
  
" Mou," she growled. " I'll do it for you."  
  
She dug through the cart until she found the card, then grabbed the Crossbow on Taichi's side. Peering at it for a bit, her scrutinizing eye caught the bow's previous compounds. " Critical Crossbow of Verserk!"  
  
The bow flashed brightly, enough to make everyone in the area close their eyes temporarily. When Mrs. Gates handed the Crossbow back, it didn't seem any different.  
  
" Hmm... I expected some kind of massive power surge," Yamato said plainly.  
  
" Oh... that comes when you actually start attacking with the thing," Tsunade remarked. " EVERY time. But you get used to it."  
  
Mrs. Gates nodded, then cast her gaze on Yamato's bow. " Want a better weapon? No zeny for you, either."  
  
" Uh..."  
  
" It's Sakura's old bow, a Scythelike Critical Arbalest," Mrs. Gates continued, " Even though it still doesn't compare to what you could have, it's better than that Dexterous one."  
  
" Hey, I've used this bow for quite a while... It's quite reliable..."  
  
" Well, it sucks."  
  
Yamato wanted to be angry... he really did... but Mrs. Gates spoke with such flair that even Yamato's pride had to give in. That, and he knew Mrs. Gates was more concerned with their safety...  
  
" I'll take it... thank you."  
  
They traded bows, and Yamato was surprised to find how comfortable the new bow was. In fact, it was better...  
  
" Can we kill something yet? I still need to finish my quadruple Atlas Gladius," Tsunade half-moaned.  
  
" Yeah, yeah, let's call Menchi," Mrs. Gates said. " You guys have fun with your new weapons."  
  
" Sweet," Taichi said, a smile sprouting out of his saddened face. " Can we try Sphinx? Please, please?"  
  
" You sure you want to? It's tough. It hurts to get hit there, not like those slow dead things in mids."  
  
" Oh yeah," the Alchemist stopped, then grabbed a few more things from her cart. " Take these and call out Mocking Muffler! It'll help you out in most situations."  
  
****  
  
" Who might you be?" Yamato asked the Crusader in front him. Taichi was staring at her unusual PecoPeco and the fancy decorations on it. The Crusader smiled and more brightly.  
  
" Um... I don't like my real name," the Crusader replied, cocking her head innocently. " Just call me Chari. I'm going to be your meat tank for today."  
  
On her head was a gigantic Angel helm, shaped like a dragon's head with wings on the side. Her green-blue cape dragged over her back as her Peco trotted around. Of all of the blue-haired sisters, she was the most peculiar...  
  
Mrs. Gates had called her and asked her to tank the monsters in Sphinx. She didn't seem to mind being monster meat. " Let's find Pharoah! Until you find out how to seal them, it's best to get some practice pushing some MVPs around."  
  
The sickly tall Pharoah was pretty speedy for its appearance. He took a LONG time to make trash of-- not only did magic have little effect on him, he had high physical defense as well. The only thing to compensate these difficulties was that he had no minions or devastating attacks... but that was hardly a trouble for Chari anyway.  
  
****  
  
" So, how was it?" Came the familiar Alchemist's voice. Chari had brought the two Archers back after tiffing with Pharaoh several times. They had run out of arrows rather quickly.  
  
" It was nice. We got some Elunium for upgrading," Taichi said, high-spirited. " Thanks, Chari! I've never upgraded before."  
  
" Hmm... upgrading," she murmurred. " Gotta go to Prontera for that."  
  
" It's not worth making the long trip for just a little upgrade yet." Yamato noted. He wandered to a nearby reposing Merchant, whose cart was packed with silver arrows.  
  
" Greedy Mutant Dragons," Tsunade pouted, " Nothing but scales this trip. Maybe I should just save up money to buy a card... at least I'd be getting more experience with other monsters."  
  
" Hunting drags... are such a drag." Salamis added. Tsunade glomped him for the pun, much to the strange looks the pair received.  
  
Menchi, newly dressed in silver-pink robes, greeted the boys warmly. Randomly, she reached out her hand and called out, " Blessing!"  
  
Shining blue auras hovered over the Archers' heads. Taichi looked at Yamato in question, who just shrugged as the blue faded.  
  
" Yagami, wanna look in my cart some more... I have a lot more than Mink Coats," Mrs. Gates offered as she sat down on the streets of Morroc.  
  
" Woo!" Taichi gave a wild shout and raided her giant flower-decorated cart.  
  
Yamato's expression contorted in slight exasperation. " Aiya, Taichi..." Oh well. They had done quite enough for the day. He watched the brunette happily shuffle through Mrs. Gate's collection, occasionally pulling out a unique headgear or reading the information off a card. " So eager..."  
  
Something seemed extremely angelic about the brunette, even if Yamato was the one wearing the Angelband. Yamato found himself caught in Taichi's presence.  
  
" Special, isn't he?" Chari uttered quietly behind him, only enough for Yamato to hear.  
  
" What?" Yamato snapped his head back before pausing. A decent comeback completely escaped him...  
  
Chari stopped smiling for the first time since they met.  
  
" Want my advice? Not sure you'll appreciate it, but... catch him while you're still young. Opportunities are rare. Especially in your situation and time."  
  
Yamato went back to observing Taichi, who was swallowing information like a snake, and he reflected on his past thoughts. He had been the one to say that close feelings such as these were a hindrance during war...  
  
So why did meeting Taichi change his beliefs so dramatically?  
  
****  
  
Taichi shuffled a little as he usually found it difficult to settle at first. Yamato stared up at the ceiling, the words of the day still occupying him.  
  
" That was a fun day," Taichi said sleepily, moving to put a ritual arm over Yamato. Out of the blue, Yamato stopped the arm, then gave Taichi a clear look.  
  
" Will empathy work the other way around?" the blue-eyed Archer asked.  
  
" Yes," Taichi answered openly, hesitating to move his arm away or closer. " As long as there's physical contact..."  
  
" Then let me do it this time."  
  
Without further confirmation, Yamato turned towards Taichi and coiled an arm around his side. Taichi stiffened, glancing at Yamato unsurely, before settling in.  
  
The words danced in his mind again. " Opportunities are rare..." Staring into calming chocolate, he moved a bit closer... closer until he could rest his chin on Taichi's hair. Hair so soft, so comforting...  
  
He heard Taichi's snore that indicated he was asleep already. Yamato retreated his arms, turning away from Taichi to stare at the ceiling again. And... strange... completely aware of it, he fell asleep without the aid of empathy. He HADN'T needed it since the kiss...  
  
****  
  
Several days went by in the same fashion. Charizard would tank Pharoahs for them while the other sisters hunted Mutant Dragons (after some thought, Tsunade decided she really didn't want to go anywhere else until she got her cards). Eventually, Tsunade found the cards she needed.  
  
" Well, our business here is done. We're heading to Comodo next," Mrs. Gates announced. " Wanna come?"  
  
Yamato's eyes widened. " Uh... you joining the rush?"  
  
Mrs. Gates chuckled, a childish chuckle that adults used around small children. " Rush? That's been long over... as long as a couple days lasts."  
  
" Already? But it's hardly been..."  
  
" That's how it is. It didn't take too long to get there, actually. And there aren't too many new renovations to the world with Comodo."  
  
" Glast Heim was a lot better," Tsunade added.  
  
Mrs. Gates shrugged her shoulders. " There's still money that can be made in Comodo, at least. See you later, guys. Good luck!"  
  
" Any last-minute warp requests?" Menchi asked.  
  
" Prontera, please," Yamato said after some contemplation.  
  
" One Prontera warp, coming right up!"  
  
****  
  
" Ack! Can this place get any more crowded!?"  
  
" Probably..."  
  
Despite his natural bit of claustrophobia, Yamato found himself smiling at Taichi's observation. Usually, he would be scowling at the massive crowd and searching for an unoccupied area. Hawkes ruffled his feathers needlessly, unaccustomed to his surroundings.  
  
Yamato introduced Taichi to the weapon and armor upgrader in the center of Prontera, who was constantly busy taking requests for upgrading. Upgrades were quick; people were getting successful upgrades here and there, while others were failing.  
  
" What happens if it fails?" Taichi asked.  
  
" The equipment is completely destroyed."  
  
Taichi reflexively held his bow closer to himself.  
  
The other Archer laughed. " Don't worry, upgrading is safe to a certain point, and we won't upgrade past that point for your Crossbow."  
  
" And upgrades help because..."  
  
" On weapons, it increases damage, and on armor, it makes them more sturdier, so it takes more damage."  
  
" ...Good stuff."  
  
After upgrading, Taichi suddenly started dragging Yamato to a certain Merchant.  
  
" Look at this headgear collection! Majestic Goat! Elven Ears! Striped Bandana! Ah... a Poring hat!"  
  
Yamato gazed over the selection. The Merchant was selling nothing but headgear.  
  
" Can I try them on?" Taichi asked the Merchant.  
  
" Yesiree!" the female Merchant replied. " Try the Poring and Panda hats especially! They're so cute..."  
  
The brunette lifted the bubbly pink hat shaped like a Poring and replaced it with his Kittyband.  
  
Yamato burst out laughing. He had never seen anyone wearing a Poring hat before, and it looked exceptionally silly on Taichi. " It looks like.... it's sucking you up!" he said between chuckles. " It's looting you."  
  
" Ooh? But it's quite comfortable."  
  
" Mm... try the Panda..."  
  
As soon as Taichi took off the baggy Poring hat, Yamato plopped the black and white object onto his head.  
  
" Ooh, this one is comfy, too..."  
  
Yamato took a step back to get a better look.  
  
" Cute..."  
  
" ...Hm?"  
  
Yamato's eyes widened. The word had slipped out before he could stop it.  
  
" Yama, what did you say?" Taichi said, quite oblivious of the blonde's suffering.  
  
" ...Nothing." He turned away slowly as to not give suspicion for his blush.  
  
Taichi shrugged and went to try some of the other hats. Yamato stopped paying attention, for he knew that looking at the brunette would just increase the pain...  
  
It seemed too soon ago that they were in Prontera Church fighting the Baphomet Junior. They had gone from struggling with minions to conquering MVPs in such short a time, and the bond between them had become much closer... and Yamato feared how close the bond could be. How close he WANTED it to be...  
  
Out of the blue, he could discern someone's voice carrying above the huge crowd in the city. A female practically shrieking... something vaguely sounding like " Taichi! Yagami Taichi! Is he here?"  
  
Taichi had a Joker Jester hat on him at the moment, but he had heard the voice, too. " Who is that?" He quickly exchanged headgear and attempted to walk toward the voice as he adjusted his Kittyband.  
  
Yamato stepped in his way, causing the other Archer to run into his chest. " She could be after you, Taichi. Watch it."  
  
Hawkes listed off Yamato's shoulder and went to inspect. Taichi still looked eager to follow the voice, so Yamato grabbed his arms.  
  
" Curses, be still." He gave Taichi a firm stare.  
  
Hawkes returned after one small swoop and nudged Yamato's chin gently.  
  
" All right. It's safe," Yamato said, releasing Taichi reluctantly. He still had an urge to protect the brunette...  
  
To their surprise, an Acolyte and Swordsman emerged from the crowd in front of them. Panting heavily, the Swordsman was the first to speak.  
  
" Hey... we just came from Payon."  
  
" I... don't know who you are," Taichi said.  
  
" Oh, I'm Sora, this is Mimi," she continued, " Your mother... She's d-"  
  
The next few moments passed by in a flurry. There was a certain glint in Taichi's eyes as Mimi cast a Warp Portal, then he was gone... Yamato found himself following him, along with the two females, and he was greeted... by the open coffin within the graveyard next to the Archer's guild.  
  
" Mother..."  
  
" Moonlight came out and got her last night..." Sora explained sullenly, " She left behind a Ninetail to leave a message."  
  
"' This is the beginning of the killings,'" Mimi recited, "' Unless you wish to turn yourself in, Yagami Taichi."  
  
" Where does Moonlight reside again?" Taichi asked.  
  
" Deep inside Payon Dungeon," Yamato reminded him.  
  
Taichi crouched down in front of the coffin, tall grass surrounding his knees. " Thank you for the information, and for bringing me here," he said gently, staring into the coffin. His mother had a peaceful expression, but nonetheless, lifeless. It was the first dead human he had ever seen.  
  
" Will you please leave now, Sora, Mimi?"  
  
" But..." Sora interjected. She had just met up with them again, she wasn't prepared to leave after the small favor.  
  
" PLEASE." Taichi sounded like he was about to crack.  
  
It was enough to make the two girls make haste. Silence reigned the graveyard once more. Taichi simply stared at the coffin, at his mother whom he had been happily having dinner with not long ago. And now...  
  
It seemed to be pulling him in. His mother's pure, innocent face, his mother's radiant spirit... gone. He was an orphan now, without a mother, without a father. Instead, he was with the world's fate...all of Midgard. The coffin-- no, the BODY-- was calling for him... Taichi... Taichi...  
  
' It's your fault!'  
  
No... no, it couldn't be.  
  
' Who would respect you after knowing death revolves around you?'  
  
No one. No one.  
  
Not even Yamato... not him...  
  
Why did this have to happen?  
  
" I'm going to turn myself in."  
  
" Huh?" Yamato said, moving out of a daze.  
  
" Whoever this Moonlight is, she can have me. I don't want anyone else getting killed because of me."  
  
" IDIOT!!!"  
  
Taichi snapped a bit, but he continued to stare at the coffin.  
  
" If you do that, it's all over for us anyway! Don't you remember what the sisters said? We need your help to seal the MVPs again!"  
  
" My mother said something, too. Maybe Ragnarok HAS to happen! Maybe I was chosen to be the one to make it happen! I... I want to know..." Taichi hugged himself, beginning to shake from an invisible coldness.  
  
" Taichi..." Yamato said softly, " You have a choice, and I know you don't want to do this."  
  
" Don't try to convince me, if it's my choice, then I can decide for myself. I'm going." Taichi stood up, hiding his eyes from his mentor's view.  
  
" The fact that I'm trying to convince you should say enough," Yamato said, turning away as well. It was just too hard to face Taichi without breaking, especially at that point. " Think about all the lives, all the people who would be ashamed of your decision."  
  
" I don't care what other people think."  
  
Yamato almost laughed, but it came out as a dry huff instead. " That sounds like something _I_ would say. You DO care... you're just not allowing yourself to."  
  
" What do you know!?" Taichi barked.  
  
Yamato was not to be deterred. " You still have Hikari to protect."  
  
" She's with Takeru."  
  
" ..." the mention of his brother set him back. His comment just backfired on him.  
  
" Goodbye, Yamato. Thank you... it was nice meeting you."  
  
He started to move, but once again, Yamato blocked him. Taichi tried to shove him away, but Yamato wouldn't budge. The brunette was shocked; he thought he was physically more fit...  
  
Yamato himself wasn't completely sure of what he was getting into, but he didn't want to give up now that he had started. He cared too much to give up...  
  
" Let me go, Yama."  
  
They avoided each other's gaze.  
  
" Not until you admit you care."  
  
He realized he would HAVE to face the brunette to convince him. He had to get over his personal feelings for the moment...  
  
" Do you not have any sense of hope? No reason to live, to hang on? Or are you cowarding? Take some responsibility, Taichi."  
  
Something on Taichi's face twitched, an instinctive reaction to the new words.  
  
" More people are depending on you, much more than believe."  
  
Taichi growled, an almost animal-like feature on his canines. " Of all people... I didn't expect YOU to go this far for me."  
  
Yamato's expression softened ever so slightly. " I would... I do..."  
  
Taichi's mother called in his head once more.  
  
The brunette smiled solemnly, and just when Yamato thought he had done it... he started to move closer to Taichi, to reassure him that things would be all right from then on. And then... an object vaguelly shaped like a weapon smacked him dead on the face, and he was out cold.  
  
****  
  
The fox lady grinned. " Ah, something arises from these jejune days. Too bad this one is the easiest one to find."  
  
She examined the Archer before him, standing in the open area of the Payon Dungeon where he was first kidnapped. Moonlight had not made her appearance before him yet, antiicipating some sort of trap from the slippery fellow. " I didn't think you humans would be this cunning..."  
  
Taichi set down in the center, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. Clearly, he was waiting for Moonlight...  
  
" All right. Let's play."  
  
She spawned in front of Taichi, allowing the boy to see her soft, padded feet.  
  
" Your guardians must have abandoned you if you were able to come here on your own will."  
  
Taichi's contempt was more than apparent. " I don't have guardians... Hurry and get it over with."  
  
Moonlight smiled childishly. " I can't until all of the other MVPs give me permission. But now that I have one of the four, my contribution to initializing the death of all humans has soared beyond my dreams."  
  
" Death to all humans? Is that Ragnarok?" Taichi asked emotionlessly. " And the gods? The beasts? You?"  
  
" Ah... that's where things get a bit more complicated. With Ymir, the holder of Midgard, in pieces... the giant whose eyebrows created the border between Midgard and the outerworlds... with that gone, we beings from the outer world are able to take haven here. After Ragnarok, Midgard will be the only sanctuary remaining."  
  
" Why Midgard... why not another outside world? Why is this place the sanctuary?"  
  
" Because fate brought us here. Fate, again."  
  
" ..."  
  
" Now it's my turn to interrogate. If those weren't your guardians defying me, who were those humans?"  
  
Yamato... " Party members. We're fighting comrades." That's all...  
  
Moonlight raised her arm, allowing a glowing to surround her hand. A large stick with a golden bell materialized in her grip, which she brought above Taichi's kowtowing head. " It's been a dull thousand years since I've been with a human like this..."  
  
****  
  
I'm not going to describe some of the next events on purpose. Don't expect the worst, please, for everyone's mentality... XD I just want to get to.. the... yaoi...!   
  
Just to be factual because reviewer asked, here are Yama and Taichi's current stats ^^; I won't state levels or upgrade levels because I feel it makes the fic too statistical, even though it already is in some places. Darn game crossover. =X  
  
Yamato -  
Bow: Scythelike Critical Arbalest (Baphomet, Soldier Skeleton)  
Head 1: Angel Band  
Robe: Mocking Muffler (Whisper)  
Armor: Tights  
Shoes: Boots  
Accessory: Gloves x2  
  
Taichi -  
Bow: Critical Crossbow of Verserk (Soldier Skeleton, Doppelganger)  
Head 1: Kitty Band  
Robe: Mocking Muffler (Whisper)  
Armor: Tights  
Shoes: Boots  
Accessory: Gloves x2  
  
Don't forget to check the gallery for some doodlings pertaining to this chapter ^^ gottaito.fateback.com/fics/WFTGallery  
  
REVIEW...!!!! KTHXBAI...!!!!! PLZGIVEZENY! Are people still saying that in iRO? o.o;  
  
Splash  
http://gottaito.cjb.net 


	10. I Wish

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 10: I Wish...  
****  
  
Dragi: Poor fuzzy Kouji memories.. hehehe!  
  
darcy3352000 owiee! x.o; Yes, Taichi is simply cute in Poring hat! Deshou, deshou? =D  
  
KawaiiKaren Damn, I should have known that! =X Well, the all-knowing sisters don't know everything now, ne? OMG, T^T... that's such a cute emo! I'm going to have to steal it sometime.. my emo trend tends to change over time. Hope you found another Panda hat! I know what you mean about the help thing... I pretty much accept help if I feel that both parties have the time to waste for it, and the only person I've ever actually bugged for help was my boyfriend, but then... we share everything, anyway. xD)  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: Takouji~ *_*; I hope this is soon for you, I've been a little better with writing more lately. ^^;  
  
Rave~n: XD. Funny, cuz the first equipment I failed and lost when losing equipment was implemented was... an evil band, too. And on the server I used to play on, they were in freaking huge demand because it was an ingredient for a custom headgear. I'm really tempted to put the custom headgear's into this fic, but... eh... wings might be too stereotypical in the gallery pics. I draw wings too often as it is. ^^;  
  
****  
  
~Humans are inconsistent... so inconsistent, that even their inconsistencies are inconsistent...~  
  
****  
  
Takuya readjusted his goggles, referring to the mirror and noticing the changes on his face. He felt freer, more mobile, more kinetic. He twirled his Fire Damascus and regular Damascus in his hands, having no difficulties handling both in sync.  
  
Running a hand across his chest, he admired the unique bandages covering him and the scarf on his neck. He was an Assassin...  
  
After arriving in Comodo, his party had several close calls in the nearby dungeons where they cram-trained. Business was already blooming in the sandy, tropical area. People were hosting casinos, restaurants, luxury resorts... it was obviously a place for vacation. Every time they went into town, there would be rich folks sharing glass drinks at the palm trees tables, gamblers attempting to gain some rare cards, people splashing around in the pools...  
  
He wasn't able to sympathize with their joy without Kouji...  
  
Now that he had achieved one step, the next was to get Moonlight. He needed a warp to Payon, which his party members gladly helped him find. The Acolyte whom they asked a warp from joined their party thereafter, making them grateful to hit two birds with one stone.  
  
With the cards he had won at the casino, he had never felt so powerful in his life...  
  
Payon seemed the same as ever. The Falconry Festival decorations were gone, but there were still Hunters all over the town. In front of the dungeon, Takuya spotted a familiar Knight near the fence border...  
  
" Sefirot..."  
  
Of course, the man didn't recognize him. Even his party members hardly recognized him with his new look.  
  
" What are you looking at?" the Knight said semi-rudely. " Trying to pick a fight, 'sin?"  
  
Takuya contemplated for a moment. He hadn't fought anything particularly challenging as an Assassin yet. Sure, Hodes would go down with several whacks of his Fire Damascus, but he hadn't fought a human yet. " Let's go."  
  
The Knight's full lips were rather spooky when he smirked.  
  
" Just a small spar."  
  
He stood up, and suddenly he seemed so much taller with his PecoPeco and spear. Aside from his face, Takuya wasn't sure what to hit among all the armor plates on him. People cleared way for them the instant Sefirot raised his spear.  
  
A green light enveloped his weapon before he lashed out on Takuya-  
  
The brunette easily dodged.  
  
Confidence up, Takuya went forward with two Damascus and dug them into Sefirot's armor. They didn't even make a dent, much to his dismay. Hm... that would be a problem.  
  
Sefirot attempted to attack Takuya again, but his weapon was much too slow for his Assassin skills. Takuya didn't even have to TRY to dodge, which gave him decent time to come up with a strategy... He frowned. He should have thought of something before giving the challenge, but he was too enrapt with the thought of getting back Kouji...  
  
" Get a move on, foul beast," Sefirot growled, kicking his heavy boots upon his PecoPeco's gut. The giant bird screeched and launched itself towards Takuya.  
  
Takuya saw the pain on the PecoPeco's muzzled face, which only fed his anger. How could people be so rude to others? Even Takuya respected the PecoPeco way of living with his experiences with them. Dodging several more spear stabs, Takuya kept searching for a weakness... although Sefirot would never be able to hit him, he needed a way to hit back.  
  
" Mundane creature! Do my bidding!" Sefirot barked, kicking the bird again. He was blaming the bird for his faltering.  
  
' How improper... how...'  
  
" Worthless bird!"  
  
Before he was aware of it, Takuya launched forward in the blink of an eye. He had this feeling before... in Payon cave, in fighting Tsunade... by the time he could control himself, he had slashed through the reins constraining the PecoPeco. The PecoPeco reared in fright, and since Sefirot had nothing to hang onto anymore, he flew backwards, crashing the fence and landing in the muggy grass.  
  
The Blacksmith from Sefirot's party snickered clumsily.  
  
" Be silent, Arbor," the Knight muttered, removing a grass blade from his precious hair (his helm had fallen off). " You're pretty good, Assassin."  
  
" Thanks," Takuya replied half-heartedly. " I'll be going then."  
  
Without another word, he ventured past the PecoPeco (who was standing there rather dumbily) into Payon Dungeon.  
  
****  
  
" I feel worthless. We failed Moonlight... she got the job done herself."  
  
Kouji huffed next to the other dark-haired one. " So it is. We are of no more use to her."  
  
" No, that's not so," Kouichi returned.  
  
Again they were within Moonlight's lair, more specifically a certain area where not even the monsters dwelling in the dungeon thought of venturing near. They sat across from each other; Kouji with his arms crossed and Kouichi kneeling on one knee. One was considerably more distraught than the other...  
  
" It was my responsibility," Kouichi said after a pause, " ...to aid you in battle. But I was unable to."  
  
The way he had said it... Kouji noticed. The Priest was trying to conceal his feelings, feelings that should not be brought up as a servant to an MVP. Still, he wanted to provide comfort, even if it was discreet.  
  
" Moonlight may seek more power," Kouji added. He nodded. He lived to follow his master. He had no other worries... as if. Kouichi's behavior worried him. Furthermore, that boy they had interrogated... Even if it was only an accident, how come it provoked so much? Kouichi had a reaction to it, and himself...  
  
He had a feeling that he knew something, but he wasn't aware of it. He had never remembered feeling this way before, but now he was curious about it. He would have to meet the boy again to confirm his questions. But how would he get such an opportunity? Only his master's orders were to be delivered, not his own. Before, his only desires were advantageous to Moonlight anyway. Searching for the boy was pointless now that the Yagami boy was in custody. To ask such a burdening request... It was too selfish of him. Moonlight would have his head...  
  
Kouichi had sensed that something was troubling his comrade as well, but he was positive it was more than his inadvertence in battle. Perhaps... that boy was on Kouji's mind. Why did the thought of that boy connecting with Kouji hurt him so much? He didn't desire this pain, and even when he tried to get rid of it, it would only come back later to haunt him at an even greater elevation. Such trifling personal concerns were of no efficient use in missions. He had to voice it to get rid of it.  
  
" Kouji..."  
  
" Kouichi..."  
  
They glanced at each other in surprise. Had the situation been less formal, they would have laughed. However, they were too troubled to think otherwise. They had to get things out of their system.  
  
Despite being Moonlight's servants, they were still human. They were hesitant to continue now that they knew the other had something to say. By some strange impulse, they spoke at the same time.  
  
" About that boy..." they said in unison.  
  
Another shock fell upon them. They stared dumbly at each other, when Moonlight appeared them. She could see she had interrupted something, but she didn't concern with it. ' Humans will be humans.'  
  
" I was considering ending your lives because of your lack of productivity... but a new opportunity has presented itself to me. I went through the Yagami boy's memories... and I found the other three involved in Ragnarok. All three..."  
  
A surging wave passed by the cave as Moonlight transmitted the memories to her two servants. One had raspberry, spiked hair. Another had light, tan hair. And the last...  
  
" We know the third one, Moonlight," Kouji confirmed, " Permission to target that one first."  
  
" Permission granted," Moonlight replied with a hint of glee. " Feel free to have fun with this one. As long as I have one of them, my situation is settled."  
  
" As you wish," Kouji and Kouichi replied.  
  
****  
  
If Takuya's eyes didn't stab daggers, his hands did. Zombies, Eggryas, Magnolias, Munaks... none of them could even touch him. The 1st classmen were intimidated by his mere appearance; the bandages surrounding him gave him an aura of authority and high experience. He pulled up his mask to cover the lower half of his face. He needed no words to show his feelings here.  
  
He was here to kill.  
  
A small group of Sohee passed by him. They floated around freely, their long dark hair flowing with no particular care for gravity. Despite their ghostly appearance, they were beautiful women, their kimonos embracing their grace.  
  
Takuya witnessed a nearby Blacksmith attack one of the Sohee. From inside the kimono sleeves, the Sohee pulled out a dagger and sliced at the Blacksmith. It ripped a large gash across his sleeve, further revealing the sculpted muscles underneath. The Blacksmith backed off to hold his arm, then cried out " Power Thrust! Adrenaline Rush! Power Maximize!" in one huge slur.  
  
Despite carrying a gigantic hammer, the Blacksmith suddenly gave the Sohee several huge slams, bringing the creature down. Smiling, the Blacksmith reached down and snapped off some of her hair, chucking it into his cart for later use. Singing a tune, he continued his way to another Sohee.  
  
Takuya had a specific method of testing his powers. With his trustworthy Damascus in his left and an elemental in his dominant right, he killed four Sohee, using a different element for each monster. The wind Damascus worked best... Sohee were water-based, it seemed.  
  
Satisfied, Takuya moved further into the cave, deeper than he had ever gone before. What element was Moonlight? The only rationale he could think of was that the beast had some kind of Lunar power... Meh... he liked his Fire Damascus. He'd use that.  
  
He scanned his current position and was disappointed at the lack of his target.  
  
" Come out, come out, little prissy... Come out, Kouji..."  
  
****  
  
Moonlight gave a look of dismay as she stood in front of the Yagami boy. He wouldn't tell her anything willingly, even if she threatened human lives. Moonlight was shocked to see this human so uncaring for others, so nonchalant to the thought of death. However, she wanted to get the information from Taichi any way possible, but she didn't want to go through the trouble of carrying out her bluffs.  
  
' This human has lost his passion completely,' she mused, ' Something must have happened...'  
  
She frowned even more. Her servants must have had something happen to them, too. ' These foolish, emotional humans... As long as they do what I want, I don't care...'  
  
Something perked inside her. " Visitors."  
  
She allowed herself to stare off in the distance, taking her eyes off her captured prisoner. She took her eyes off the dozens of Hydra and Mandragora plants surrounding him, their tentacles/vines suspending him in midair. The boy couldn't escape even if he wanted to... the tentacles and vines were all over his outstretched arms, his legs, his waist...  
  
The Yagami boy had lost all hope.  
  
It must have been Moonlight's imagination... but... No, she wasn't guilty. This was for her survival. Humans didn't matter.  
  
" I'm going to tend to the new arrivals," she told the boy, " Bothersome..."  
  
The boy didn't respond, but he closed his eyes in continued defeat. Such pain... Moonlight couldn't help but wonder what was running through his mind before she focused on the guests waiting outside her lair.  
  
****  
  
" Moonlight? Where are you? Show yourself!"  
  
He displayed common traits of a haughty boy, his shoulders slacking back and feet treading swiftly. All the tension that had been building up within himself -ever since he had found out about Kouji's whereabouts- was tumbling out of his system. He hadn't had much space for release in his venture to Comodo; his party's presence held him back. He didn't want to overdo anything back then.  
  
Now he wanted nothing but to overdo his upcoming murder.  
  
He had to believe this. He had to keep his focus... his intent on killing. Any weakness would prevent him from saving Kouji. A solid shell... that's what he was.  
  
Sounds of battle filled his ears, which was unusual in the barren area he was in. Strange purple balls of fire known as Horong followed him. He tried attacking some of them with his water Damascus, but it took too long to extinguish a single one, and more kept ganging up on him as he idled. It hurt when they flickered, too... He just meandered past them. They were small fries compared to what he was looking for. Eventually, he lose them at a distance to make sure they didn't continue to follow him when he found Moonlight.  
  
Speaking of which, there was another strange light up ahead... it wasn't a hypnotic purple light, but bright, and... yellow...  
  
Takuya smiled under his mask. Now was the time.  
  
Quickly, he hugged close to the dark wall and cloaked himself. He blended right into the dark, rusty colors of the cave. Damn, he loved doing this... With this, he could observe Moonlight's movements and evaluate his attack plan. His chances of success would be massively greater if he caught her off guard. Good chances, good chances.  
  
Now he knew the battle sounds were coming from this area, as he noticed another male Assassin in the vicinity, dressed in bright red. It was red so bright that it was easily mistakable for pink...  
  
" Such beauty will be a great treasure for my battle collection," the Assassin announced, " You're mine."  
  
Moonlight simply smiled to herself, not bothering to make a move.  
  
" Do you surrender yourself to Rhodo yet?" he continued when he realized he would be getting no response.  
  
" No, I'm just amused by your schematic pink."  
  
Opposite to what she expected, the Rhodo Assassin lifted his eyebrows in delight. " Doesn't it captivate my beauty?"  
  
Moonlight snapped her fingers and a pack of Nine Tails immediately surrounded her. " Sorry, but I don't share that kind of interest... off with you."  
  
The yapping quadrupeds set their path towards Rhodo, who grimaced and ran off. " Hey, no fair mobbing me like that!"  
  
Takuya took this distraction to shuffle closer to Moonlight's back. Just one critical slash should do it...  
  
The pink Assassin was soon out of sight, leaving Moonlight to croon over her pawed palm. " You can come out now."  
  
Takuya tensed. Had she spotted him? But he was still so far back, and even cloaked... Adrenaline rushed through him. If he was going to attack, he would have to do it now. But before he could hear the click of his daggers, he heard the slash of something whizzing by... an arrow?  
  
Another person stepped out into Moonlight's view. Takuya recognized him immediately as the Archer he had met in the same cave...  
  
" Are you looking to make me into a pet treasure as well?" Moonlight mocked.  
  
With no response, the Archer just loaded another arrow onto what looked like a Crossbow. And he launched... Takuya couldn't follow him at all. The arrow had lodged itself into Moonlight's shoulder before the Archer had pulled out another arrow. No... wait, he was aiming, no... loading... no... loading again...  
  
The new Assassin stared in awe. The Archer was moving faster than he could register. The falcon was attacking incessantly as well. Yet, the Archer had not said a single word... One glance at Moonlight, and he knew the fox lady wouldn't last much longer. Arrows littered her body and she had no room to recuperate.  
  
That is... until the dozens of arrows in her dissipated like thin powder snow. But Yamato was not to be discouraged from the fierce look in his eyes. Again, he slew arrows at an alarming rate. His attacks seemed effortless to the eye, but every arrow made an impact on Moonlight.  
  
Takuya stood pensively in the dark. At the rate the Archer was attacking, he could take her down solo. It was amazing. Takuya wasn't even sure if he would get any action for himself. It was HE who had a clear, direct reason for killing Moonlight... he had someone to rescue, someone who was under Moonlight's control...  
  
Speaking of someone, where was the other Archer that had been accompanying Yamato? Was it... He wasn't sure what to assume, but for the moment, he wanted to direct all his rage towards Moonlight... All the anger possible...  
  
Moonlight, have you done something to provoke Yamato into attacking you as well?  
  
Shock of Yamato's pure skill passed over, Takuya snuck behind in a flash and jabbed a Damascus straight into Moonlight's wide-open back. She was distracted. This was working much more better than he had planned. The menacing, uncontrollable grin plastered on his lips would not cease as the blood spilled out.  
  
Yamato stopped for a moment, distracted by Moonlight's wail of pain. He saw the Assassin behind her, then searched the rest of the area. Takuya could tell that the Archer's purpose wasn't solely to attack Moonlight by now.  
  
" Taichi!" the blonde Archer shouted, the first word he had spoken since his appearance.  
  
Takuya himself had not said anything, either. He was a silent killer... he was a silent avenger... he was...  
  
The Archer took off, breezing past the duel and deeper into Moonlight's lair.  
  
The smile curled incessantly on Takuya's face. He was so close, he could feel it on the tip of his fingers. With one last twirl of his second Damascus, he slashed straight through Moonlight's body. She screeched, and then nothing more came out of her.  
  
Spent, relieved, Takuya dropped the weapons in his hands, one by one. The clattering of metal hitting solid ground seemed obsolete compared to the sounds running inside his head. ' Kouji...'  
  
He closed his eyes, first to tune out the sight of the fading Moonlight and second to revel in his memories. He could already feel those lithe arms wrap around him, pulling him in...  
  
And all of a sudden... it was true. Except... a giant Katar was at his neck, too. Unmistakable Katar...  
  
' Kouji.'  
  
The brunette wanted to know why...  
  
" Have you forgotten that we have the ability to respawn?" jeered a familiar, feminine voice, as if she could read minds.  
  
Still, without a reverberation from his vocal chords since he had entered the cave, Takuya slowly gulped. His adam's apple gradually shifted like an elevator moving between floors, visible through the deep lavendar purple material on his neck. His breathing was calm, but numerous thoughts clouded his insides.  
  
Why... why was everything not turning out as he expected? Why was Kouji still unfamiliar? Why was Kouichi still giving him such cold eyes? Why did this happen? He had worked so hard, and it came to this... Trapped, stuck with nowhere else to go.  
  
He felt himself falling... falling back, leaning into those strong arms of the stranger he loved.  
  
Love... he...  
  
" Kouji..." he finally uttered.  
  
****  
  
The brunette Assassin fell weakly against Kouji. Under his mask, the darker-haired Assassin opened his mouth in slight surprise. ' He feels so gentle in my hands...'  
  
Quickly, he changed the angle of his arms so he could support the other without damaging him. His Katars were gigantic, but Kouji easily handled them, maneuvering them around Takuya's body.  
  
" We found him quickly," Kouichi commented as he cast random support spells on the refreshed Moonlight.  
  
" Is this one giving himself up, too?" Moonlight said, seemingly disappointed at the relinquishing potential for torture. " How boring."  
  
Moonlight led the boys into her shrine, then stopped in her tracks.  
  
" The Yagami boy is gone. The other Archer must have taken him."  
  
The dozens of Mandragora and Hydra had been brutally slaughtered, vines cut everywhere and mops of tentacles lying lifeless. Moonlight cast a belligerent eye at the scene, although content in some ways.  
  
" It's all right as long as we have one in custody. Boys, I'll leave the watch duty to you. I don't feel like gathering those filthy monsters all over again."  
  
" Yes, Moonlight," Kouichi answered.  
  
Kouji observed the scene. He could tell Moonlight was a little worried now. She hadn't expected ANY of her plans to fail on her own account, but now the Yagami boy was gone...  
  
Kouichi brought a hand onto his comrade's shoulder to indicate that they should leave.  
  
" If I find out about the other chosen ones' hideouts, I'll send you guys out to retrieve them," Moonlight added before heading to her throne. Kouji and Kouichi quickly moved to their own isolated area of the cave, where they set their captive down onto the ground.  
  
Kouji sat back and watched the boy, who was mumbling incoherently in his napping state. He wondered...  
  
What kind of person was he... this sullen brunette in front of him. Why did he pull Kouji in so much? What was their connection? He thought, deeply and furiously, furious that he did not know the answer to these questions plaguing him.  
  
Kouji's gaze went up and down. This boy... he was an Assassin as well. He had done it quickly, too-- this change.  
  
Curiosity got to the better of him, and he reached out to touch the bandages on the brunette's chest, running his fingers across the fibers of every thread. He was caught in the beauty of the other... the brunette continued to mumble, making Kouji keep his hand still for a moment. Unblinking, Kouji slowly pulled the other Assassin's mask down. He cupped that smooth cheek and approached the boy's face, feeling that breath on him, sending him chills...  
  
' This face... so familiar...'  
  
" Kouji."  
  
His hand twitched and he pulled back, shocked at what he was doing. Kouichi was giving him a strange look, a look mixed with concern and worry.  
  
" Do you know him?" the Priest asked quietly.  
  
Kouji paused before answering. " I don't know. But..."  
  
He stared back into the brunette again, unable to take his eyes off him. There was a burning in his chest, but what scared him the most was that... he LIKED this burning.  
  
Kouichi stood and started to stroll off. " I'm going for a walk. Will you be okay by yourself?"  
  
Kouji kept his eyes on the other Assassin, but he took Kouichi's words to him. " You know I'll be fine."  
  
Kouichi nodded, and then departed. He relished in the dark environment of the cave to hide his furrowing brows.  
  
" No, I don't know that, Kouji," he said inaudibly.  
  
****  
  
Please review! *begbowbowbowbowpleadgrovelatyourfeet* This really is turning out to be a rather large fic... ^^;  
  
Would the news... that I will officially be writing individual lemons for both Takouji and Taito pairing... do anything? x3 I'm just trying to figure out how relevant I want them to be to the story, since I won't be able to post them (or I'll have to post censored versions) on FF.N. I don't want to confuse people who didn't read the lemon, after all. XD  
  
More stat fun! *shrugs*  
  
Takuya - Assassin  
Weapon 1: Double Hurricane Damascus (Andre x2)  
Weapon 2: Fire, Water, Earth, or Wind Damascus  
Head 1: Goggles  
Head 3: Assassin Mask  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Ninja suit  
Shoes: Boots  
Accessory: Ring x2  
  
Kouji - Assassin  
Weapon 1/2: ~CUSTOM~ Triple Critical Katar (Solder Skeleton x3)  
Head 1: Pirate Bandana  
Head 3: Assassin Mask  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Ninja suit  
Shoes: Hasty Boots (Moonlight Flower)  
Accessory: Critical Ring x2  
  
Kouichi - Priest  
Weapon: Bare hands  
Head 2: Sunglasses of Gemstone (invisible)  
Robe: Muffler of Mastery (Dark Priest)  
Armor: Holy Robe  
Shoes: Hasty Boots (Moonlight Flower)  
Accessory: Safety Ring x2  
  
EXTREME Taito in the next chapter. I have about a third of it written at the time of this posting. ^^;  
  
Splash  
http://gottaito.cjb.net 


	11. Responsibility

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 11: Responsibility  
****  
  
Wow, so many reviews! I'm so happy. ^_^  
  
Dragi: Lol, all about Takuya and Kouji x3~ They're cute, ne?  
kawaiidark: Good word to describe him. XD  
Angel Ran: Wa, longing is good. D Hope you like~  
twpach: Glad you like Taito ^^  
Lady Moon3: Sadly, this is fast! If only you knew what's in store for Takouji... *makes a mega evil grin... then runs in fright*  
Sillie: Heh? XD  
shadow-seraph: Thanks for the compliment ^_^  
dyaoka: Yes, you are the 100th! Congrats. XD RO is lots of fun!  
darcy3352000: Strange symbols in the review... or my computer is just screwed up! Doesn't a Pico-Pico hammer just turn me chibi? I dunno.. XD I've been playing FF games lately, so I might have forgotten.  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: Aww, thank you. ^_^ Cute smiley~  
KawaiiKaren: Rofl, I know what you mean by the natural item collection. I'm too lazy to hunt natural ones most of the time, so usually I just move on to other rares, though. ^^ But uh... I miss RO. I just wish I had the time to play it. _ Mercs are the b!tchiest to level, oh God!!!! Good luck. X3. YAY FMA~ It hasn't failed to disappoint me at all, even all that female fanservice doesn't really deter me. _; But, your fic idea sounds great. D Kwehehehe!  
  
To alleviate confusion, the first blurb is a flashback from the previous chapter, then the rest continues with the story. ^^;  
  
****  
  
~Trust is gained through behavior, not words~  
  
****  
  
Moonlight had quite a prize indeed. This mere Archer in front of her... this SILLY human was the key factor to her future existence, as well as all of the other MVPs. She loathed the creature for it. She didn't want to suffer this stressing fate. She wouldn't let it happen. ' It's his fault...'  
  
She placed a pawed hand on the boy's forehead. She wanted to know if the boy had come into contact with the others involved in Ragnarok, and to do that she simply had to peer into his memories. Better yet, he wouldn't know that his memories were being invaded. Her look of malice seethed through her hand's heat. ' You and everyone else involved... show me.'  
  
However, as if Taichi knew what Moonlight was doing, he asked, " How do you know who I am?"  
  
Moonlight's eyes widened. ' He does know I'm searching through his memories... no matter, not like he can do anything about it.' Moonlight grinned sadistically as cover up. " You look exactly like the Yagami being that sealed me 1,000 years ago. Exactly like him... I'll never forget that face."  
  
Yes, this was sweet revenge. Yes, this was the key to a new dream...  
  
" You humans never change..."  
  
Only... she wasn't aware of Taichi's empath powers... and Taichi made it resolute not to let her know. It wouldn't matter, he was a goner, anyway...  
  
****  
  
Ironic how Yamato still felt that Taichi had angelic qualities, despite the fact that the blonde was the one wearing the Angelband, despite the fact that Taichi had attempted to sacrifice the entire human race. Yamato held onto his side, shrinking back in pain. Although Moonlight had not even touched him, he couldn't say the same for the Hydra and Mandragora that had been surrounding Taichi. In high numbers, those monsters were almost unstoppable...  
  
The windows next to Taichi's bed (or what Yamato presumed to be Taichi's, telling from the extensive encyclopedia of headgears on the table nearby) took some time to open, but Yamato used more force from his tiring body to give Taichi some fresh air. Yamato felt like he was going to collapse at any moment now... but no, he had to keep going. He had to...  
  
He blinked. He had just fought against Moonlight to save Taichi. He wondered if Taichi had left behind his Crossbow on purpose. Taichi hadn't put much force into knocking him out, either... he had regained consciousness within an hour.  
  
He could remember it all... the overwhelming desire to kill Moonlight, the shock of Taichi's submission to death... it was all too much. Yamato needed to do something about it. But, he was afraid to do it... It would mean breaking out of his long-kept shell...  
  
Yamato pulled the chair he was sitting on closer to Taichi's side. Taichi didn't seem to be asleep or unconscious, but he kept his eyes closed as if he didn't want to face anything. Yamato glanced at the pile of clothes on the floor next to him. Now he was only wearing a simple tunic, allowing his body to breathe easier.  
  
When Yamato had tried to reason with the other Archer before his treacherous act, Yamato failed to bring up another subject that could have changed everything. He had avoided it, hoping he wouldn't have to face his own fears that came with that subject. Now, even if Taichi was safe, he had to make sure the brunette would stay. He had so many reasons to stay, he just had to realize it...  
  
A sudden lash of pain crawled up Yamato's bow-handling arm. He grabbed it with his other hand in hopes of holding it back. The Mandragora had been weaker, but he couldn't say the same for the Hydra...  
  
He remembered saving Taichi from a Hydra... He remembered saving Taichi from a Hydra in an earlier experience... This time, Yamato had not hesitated for a moment to take Taichi out of the torture. He reprimanded himself for it; he should have concentrated on killing the monsters first, rather than diving in to take Taichi and run. It would have been quicker, less painful... and cleaner.  
  
Yamato eyed a particular bruise on his pulsing arm. One of the Hydra had had an extremely tight grip on it... he remembered literally pulling the Hydra out of the ground and swinging it forcefully against the other monsters in a rage.  
  
Hawkes flew inside from the open window, landing on Yamato's shoulder and giving him some herbs he had collected.  
  
" Thank you, Hawkes," came the short sign of gratitude before Yamato placed them inside his supply bag. He didn't feel like leaving Taichi's side to make some potions for himself. He'd heal in time, anyway. He pressed his forehead to Taichi's bed as Hawkes found a high shelf to rest on. Yamato sighed.  
  
' This definitely has to be his bed if it smells so much like HIM.'  
  
He could almost feel Taichi's body heat as more memories swept over him.  
  
~" Wow, I get knocked out by a Priest/Assassin duo and I wake up in a luxurious hotel back with my wonderful master."~  
  
Yamato frowned as he went over that particular conversation. Taichi had definitely given in to the dark...  
  
" You ass," Yamato muttered into Taichi's bedsheets.  
  
Conversations one by one trailed through his mind. Their first encounter...  
  
" Making me take you in as an apprentice..."  
  
Recovering in Bibilan...  
  
" Making me see your weak side..."  
  
And then... another conversation where Yamato confessed the truth about his past... " Making me tell you who I am..."  
  
The defeated look on the brunette's eyes as Yamato tried to approach him about his fate.  
  
" Making me want to be by your side, no matter what happens... how dare you..."  
  
Just as he had done in Bibilan, Yamato reached out and took Taichi's hand in his own, blindly groping the sheets before he found it. He held until it almost hurt, afraid of losing him... Taichi had no reaction to the contact, which only told Yamato that he was still in a daze...  
  
Or not. Taichi's hand twitched. It was a reaction that would only happen if he was aware... Yamato could not give any time for Taichi to go back.  
  
" Taichi..."  
  
" Why..."  
  
Yamato waited. He wanted to hear from Taichi, too.  
  
" Why did you do this?" he said weakly, his Kittyband wilting, " It's not because you don't know like last time..."  
  
Yamato cleared his throat. " You're right. It's just..."  
  
He lifted his body from the bed and caught Taichi's gaze. There was still a hint of rebellion in those chocolate eyes, the confused hate that Yamato must have given Taichi as well in the past.  
  
Yamato cringed lightly. He was never good with words, especially for such situations.  
  
So, he argued, because that was something he could do.  
  
" I think you should explain your side more, first."  
  
" I already told you," Taichi said angrily, more energy coming within him. " It's what I feel is right."  
  
" It's not what you feel. I know it."  
  
" You aren't me, Yamato. You just don't want to admit that this is my decision."  
  
" No..." Yamato almost rolled his eyes. " You're the one in denial. Taichi... I would never think of you in such a way unless I could put all of my trust into it. You would want me to do so, wouldn't you?"  
  
" ...Yes..."  
  
" Then may I ask for the same trust in return?"  
  
Taichi was still. He had never thought Yamato could be like this... this open... it sent fear through him. And fear made him do strange things...  
  
" I..." he reflected, " You wouldn't use me to help you sleep if you didn't trust me, would you? That's all I'm good for... how would you treat me if I DIDN'T have empath skills?"  
  
Yamato paused. He would have to swallow some pride if he wanted to get this over with... he could do this. " ... Actually, I haven't been using your empathy. I've been going to sleep without it."  
  
" What?" Taichi gave him a sincerely confused look, " Since when?"  
  
" Um... Since you kis-" Yamato stopped himself. He had almost said that taboo... " For quite a few days now... before we met Mrs. Gates."  
  
" Then... all those times, why didn't you tell me?" Taichi asked. His forehead kneaded in his concern.  
  
Yamato didn't answer. Taichi peered closer to the blonde, expecting an answer, but when he realized he wasn't going to get any, he thought. He thought about the significance for himself... something didn't connect yet. Why would Yamato... he pondered. His initial idea... that couldn't be it, could it? Yamato doesn't... NO one does, no one SHOULD... especially after what he did.  
  
' No one would want me.'  
  
But... but Yamato, he...  
  
The blonde looked off to the side, almost avoiding Taichi's gaze. ' No... there must be some other incentive. There must be...'  
  
" You're getting off the subject, Taichi," Yamato said, slightly irritated, " I asked about you first. It's only proper you answer before I do. I'm not the one who should be talking."  
  
After all, it was Taichi's fault that everyone was suffering so much...  
  
" ...Sorry."  
  
Now it was Yamato's turn to give him a look of confusion.  
  
" You're a really kind person, Yama," Taichi said solemnly, " You do what's best for everyone and you help out when you are able... even if you don't do things with the brightest attitude."  
  
Yamato turned pink at these observations. He hadn't really thought of himself that way, so it was really awkward to hear it coming from someone else...  
  
" I think... I took your kindness for granted, Yamato," Taichi continued. The brunette looked at the hand enveloping his and smiled sadly, " I don't deserve it... That's also why... that's why I did this."  
  
" So you ran away? You didn't want to face me so you RAN?"  
  
" I don't see YOU doing much better! Why don't you ever tell me why you do certain things?"  
  
" Well, at least I don't think about destroying the entire human race."  
  
Taichi hid a wince. " That's beside the point... this is just about us. It was wrong of me to not consider other people... but this is just about you and me. No one else..."  
  
" ..."  
  
" Deep down inside, there's something you're afraid of..."  
  
Yamato looked even more hurt. " You, too. You're afraid of something, too."  
  
" ...I know."  
  
Silence. Yamato cursed under his breath. He was back to square one. ' Damn it, just get over yourself, Yamato!' But he couldn't... he couldn't...  
  
Then, Taichi sat up and did the unthinkable. Taking his hand out of Yamato's and putting them on Yamato's shoulders instead, he said firmly, " Would you rather have me use empathy?"  
  
" What's the use?" Yamato gritted his teeth. He didn't want Taichi to enter such a situation through such means... " No. No more cheating. No more hiding. Taichi..." He just wanted to give in...  
  
Taichi stayed proudly still, his mind open and focused.  
  
" No more running," Yamato uttered. He was set. All that was left... was...  
  
The gap between their lips became non-existant as Yamato closed in. Taichi actually jerked back at first, but soon he wrapped his arms closer around Yamato and brought him onto the bed with him. Silky feelings coarsed through his insides as their contact slowly turned Yamato's body into putty, starting from his lips and spreading like wildfire. Yamato's Angelband almost seemed to flap as his legs tumbled onto the sheets. Taichi layed back onto his pillow as he continued to explore Yamato's mouth. They kissed over and over again, one setting off the want for another. They were hungry for each other, and every touch released a beautiful feeling...  
  
Yamato knew these feelings weren't just from empathy. Hell, no... He could feel Taichi's thumbs rubbing against his back affectionately as Taichi continued to place soft patterings of kisses on him.  
  
" Mm... Taichi..."  
  
Slowly, with ease, Yamato fell to Taichi's side, allowing the brunette to continue kissing him. The more experienced Archer clutched Taichi's side to get closer, to feel that comforting body heat surrounding him. He felt more wanted than he had ever felt before. He allowed Taichi access to his outstretched neck and let out a sigh... Oh bliss, oh bliss...  
  
" Yama," Taichi said somewhat hoarsely against the crook of Yamato's shoulder-blade, " How long have you..."  
  
" Since forever," the blonde cut him short. His breathing was labored, his chest pounding with Taichi's, " Since forever..."  
  
Taichi hugged him tighter and nodded. " I'm sorry for what I did," he repeated.  
  
" I'm sorry, too..." Tears almost came out of Yamato's eyes. This happiness... was real... And now he could say what he had wanted to say. " It's all right, Taichi. It'll be fine..."  
  
Taichi seemed to wallow in these simple words of comfort, settling into their position until he put nothing but weight on his bed.  
  
" You know," Yamato started conversationally, " I've never felt love before. Not in my family, not in my travels... You're lucky, Taichi."  
  
It was a while before Taichi spoke again. " You saying that you're not lucky now?"  
  
Yamato smiled and almost laughed. " I'm not just fortunate... I'm ecstatic!"  
  
Taichi blinked, and before he could stop Yamato, he was all over him again... He just smiled lightly...  
  
" Okay, I get your point..." Taichi as he let Yamato stroke his back. " But now we have to deal with the MVPs if you want me to stay so much."  
  
" Of course," Yamato said softly, sensing a slight awkwardness in his words. He breathed against Taichi for a moment. " We should go after Moonlight first. She's caused us so much trouble..."  
  
" It led to us being here, like this, however..."  
  
" Don't tell me that you think what she does is good."  
  
" Naw..." Taichi ran a hand across Yamato's chest teasingly. " Everything YOU do is."  
  
Blushing was an understatement to describe Yamato. " I..."  
  
" Seriously...I'm still here. Isn't that enough proof?" Taichi gave the blonde an almost desperate glance. Yamato still didn't seem to be accepting such compliments...  
  
" ..."  
  
Taichi placed another kiss up against Yamato's forehead, then his lips. Yamato stared up at him in wonder, no more as a mere apprentice. He was so much more... " We better sleep, Yamato. A lot happened today."  
  
" Yeah."  
  
They gathered in each other's arms, unwilling to let go and desiring each other's new-found love.  
  
" And Yamato...?"  
  
" Huh?"  
  
" ...Thank you."  
  
Yamato let out a deep breath. " ...You too."  
  
****  
  
Dark, intrepid air. Shadows seeping through every wall and corner. It was a giant shrine, layer and layer of concrete, forming multiple hallways. Yamato went through the area in subconscious fury, the heat of the previous events still high on his mind. The word " Why..." kept running through him.  
  
His grip on Taichi's Crossbow tightened. He knew the power of this weapon, and he knew what he had to do. Stupid Taichi... even if he hadn't properly used the bow, he had still used it against his deal. Save Midgard...  
  
" Stupid, stupid," the new word rang. Soon, Yamato wasn't sure if he was saying that to Taichi... or himself. He ran and he ran, and although he never seemed to run out of energy, he never seemed to have a place to stop. An endless hallway...  
  
Finally, he came to a clearing and gaped at what he saw.  
  
Dozens of Hydra and Mandragora, covering a giant pit, a pit so large and deep that Yamato felt like he was looking down into Ant Hell. Each monster had a mind of its own, wriggling continuously, vines and tentacles reaching out. They swarmed, some almost on top of each other. In the center, a mass of them had someone in their grasp.  
  
" Taichi!"  
  
Yamato gaped in horror as he witnessed Taichi as their captive... doing things...  
  
Without second thought, he jumped into the pit, smashing a Mandragora on the landing. Immediately, the other monsters started grabbing onto him, pulling, pushing.... constraining him and taking him...  
  
He screamed, screamed from the pain... screamed from failure, screamed... There was still so much he had to do, had to say to Taichi...  
  
" No! Taichi!"  
  
The brunette responded this time, slowly moving his gaze upward to give one last forlorn look before giving himself completely to...  
  
" TAICHIIIIII!!!!"  
  
Suddenly, Yamato backed and found himself clattering against a wooden bedpost. His back bounded slightly from the impact, then almost bumped into Taichi, who was sitting up in front of him.  
  
" Hey, hey, Yama..." he said, hands on the blonde's shoulders in a reassuring grip.  
  
Yamato lunged forward and locked Taichi in an embrace.  
  
" Yama... uh..."  
  
The poor boy was shaking. Taichi turned soft eyes to him.  
  
" Just... a nightmare..." Yamato muttered, burying his face in Taichi's neck.  
  
" Would it help to talk about it?" Taichi said, still speaking as if he were talking to a shy child.  
  
" No," he replied, taking deep breaths to calm his heartbeat, " Just reliving bad memories."  
  
" Memories," Taichi repeated, " Moonlight went through my memories. I'm not sure what she saw, but she looked happy about something."  
  
" She shows a lot of emotion for someone not human..."  
  
" No... she is. She was just raised by the Nine Tail."  
  
" And now she controls them... hmm..." Yamato mused.  
  
Taichi's expression changed. Yamato mused closer as the puzzled look became more distinct.  
  
" How do you suppose I go about sealing these guys?"  
  
Yamato brainstormed through his battling knowledge. " Beats me."  
  
Taichi smiled sarcastically, turning around to settle his back against Yamato. " Great. Just great. It's not like I can go around town asking people, too."  
  
" Mmm..." Yamato hummed. Somewhat sneakily, he wrapped his arms around the brunette and rested his head on Taichi's shoulder. " I'm sure we'll find out when we need to."  
  
Taichi shuffled out of his hold, much to the other Archer's disappointment, then stepped off the bed and stretched a little. Yamato scooted forward as he watched Taichi swing his arms around. Just as he thought Taichi was going to walk off, the brunette pivoted on his toes, surprising Yamato as he leapt. He leapt... on top of the blonde. Yamato made a faint " oof" sound before falling back onto the bed. He stared up into Taichi's gaze immersed, wonderfully immersed...  
  
They gave each other smug glances as Yamato brought his arms around Taichi's neck. It was quite a comfortable position with neither of them wanting to move out into the world. For the moment, they were just two normal people living as they had always desired... Taichi with a sternly mature face...Yamato opening himself to new things...  
  
But... time continued endlessly. A loud rumbling vibrated through the room violently, disturbing the two boys. A strange wailing sound followed.  
  
" What is..." Yamato turned his head to the window and saw the trees shaking as well.  
  
Taichi pushed off his hands to get up, growling inhumanly at the interuption. His Kittyband flattened so that the ears folded against his hair. " She's outside. She's in the village!"  
  
By the time Yamato got off the bed, Taichi had already put on his Archer outfit and was set to go. " Taichi..."  
  
" She has got to go..." his voice seemed hostile, " I'm not going to let her get us. Especially not as we are now."  
  
Yamato barely had time to get his own supplies before Taichi flung his door open. His eyes fluttered at Taichi's spontaneous motivation... and he felt the heat crawling through the veins in his cheeks.  
  
The renewed brunette walked out into the brimming daylight and did his best not to react to what he saw. Monsters of unimaginable proportions, monsters of all sorts were covering the entire village. Some recognizable, some not, and some...  
  
Moonlight seemed tiny compared to some of the others surrounding her. Among them... Baphomet...  
  
Battlers from all sides of the area responded to the cries of the outsiders, bringing out their shields, their swords, their maces, their axes... A Swordsman slashing an Elder Willow, an Acolyte casting Angelus for her party, a Hunter setting up traps that stopped monsters in their tracks, a Rogue picking on the tougher monsters for their rare items... In the corner where Taichi's mother used to work in the weapon shop, the boys spotted a familiar face... a female Rogue with bright hair...  
  
Taichi charged an arrow on a Minotaur heading his way, pushing the giant, horned beast into a Golem nearby. He was about to dive in with more attacks, when Yamato pulled him by the arm. " We have to talk to her... we can't just wing this."  
  
She was Back Stabbing a giant grandfather Clock at the moment. Suddenly, she winced in pain as the mouth of the Clock opened wide, its white beard flaring, then slammed itself against her. Growling, she moved swiftly and brought out... a marker. Her eyes gleamed as she set her mastery over the beast.  
  
After the Clock fell, face covered in decorative designs, she happily picked up the key inside its base. " Good times, eh, boys? I haven't seen a monster invasion this random in a while."  
  
Yamato nodded slowly. " You know why we're here?"  
  
" Of course. Mrs. Gates asked me to follow you, but I got bored and went MVP-hunting in the forest. Then this event happens... I'm so glad I'm here! This is rare stuff galore!"  
  
A blue Poring (Marin) toddled past her. In the blink of an eye, she slashed it into jelly. Nothing remained. " 'Che."  
  
Yamato itched his cheek. Reminded him of someone...  
  
" We have to get rid of these MVPs quickly!" Taichi said excitedly, watching a Knight desperately trying to Counter the Baphomet's attack while dozens of range attackers had their go on the goat. Baphomet Juniors hassled any of the blade-weilding attacks approaching.  
  
" Patience, kiddo," the woman said, " You don't even know who I am."  
  
" You're one of the sisters, like Menchi and the rest... what else is there to know? You... you must know how to seal them! You guys talked about it," Taichi said factly.  
  
" Well, I guess names don't mean much to ya. Yomiko."  
  
" Huh?"  
  
" My. Name. Is. Yomiko," she said, slow on purpose.  
  
" Yomiko!" Taichi nearly threw up his arms. " How do I seal them?"  
  
" Just get an MVP item for the one you want to seal."  
  
Taichi gaped, an exaggerated overbite showing his disgust.  
  
" And I do that... how?"  
  
" Most Valuable Player," she noted, " Contribute the most to killing one, and you might get the prize object it leaves behind. You'll KNOW when you see an MVP item. Believe me."  
  
" Um..." Taichi looked to Yamato for clarification. Yamato understood, but he was a bit awestruck... wasn't there anything else?  
  
" It's not as easy as it sounds, as you have all those other guys competing against you for the MVP. And I doubt they care about sealing the MVPs, because that means that they won't be able to fight them anymore for MVP items. The people have seen the value of these monsters. They don't realize the true terror of what may happen... they don't think that this leads to Ragnarok..."  
  
" Ragnarok..."  
  
A sudden crack in a not so distant space caught their attention. Out of a scattering of various undead monsters, a yellow creature appeared...  
  
" There she is," Taichi said dangerously, already loading an arrow. But, before he could attack...  
  
A Knight popped out of seemingly nowhere and started slashing at the beast. Withing a second, a dozen other battlers started beating up on her.  
  
" Don't stand there!" Yomiko barked, " Go! Go! Go!"  
  
To continue her point, she dashed forward and made a clean attack on Moonlight before proceeding to the undead monsters surrounding them.  
  
Surprisingly, Taichi still hesitated, staring at the Assassins, Knights, Hunters and other classmen going at his prey. There were so many 2nd classmen, people who were meant to be stronger than him...  
  
Yamato sent an arrow from their short distance from Moonlight, then sent Taichi a furtive glance. Oh, how those crystal blue eyes could seep into you...  
  
The ancient buildings in the grassy-green area retained their nobility as the fighting ensued. This was for everything he lived for, Taichi decided.  
  
" I have your back covered, Taichi. Concentrate on the MVP," Yamato said as he Charge-Arrowed an approaching undead monster.  
  
" Aah..."  
  
Around the area, various battlers fought for their lives, their desires, their hopes... Random parties and guilds gathered to fight specific mobs as several other MVPs appeared.  
  
" Osi!" Yomiko cried in the background, " He's so much fun! Let me at him!"  
  
Just then, the Monk guild intercepted the dark mummy known as Osiris. While several of the members occupied the MVP with their knuckle-weaponry, two on the side called up strange spirit balls to surround them.  
  
" Time to do a little exorcising," one of the spirit-callers said with a smirk.  
  
" Don't hold back, Gennai," the other commented with a similar expression. The spirit balls around them began to swirl faster.  
  
" You too, Suzaku," the first added, throwing his comrade a quick glance. His short pony-tail flung behind him as he turned to execute his move. " EXTREME FIST!"  
  
A giant white light blinded a majority of the battle area, leaving most people still for a fleeting moment.  
  
Another arrow made its way into Moonlight's body. She was getting really sick of those... In fact, she was sick of a lot of things. She was sick of not knowing what her servants were thinking, sick of failing, sick of losing control of her situation... where had it gone wrong for her?  
  
She forced her injuries to fade away, sucking out more of her life power. Every hit made her weaker... even if she could respawn, it still took her time to reach the town. Fending off the boisterous Knight swinging his heavy sword on her, she glanced around. She looked towards anyone who could help.  
  
Screams of pain attracted her attention behind her, followed by slashing noises. Of course. Baphomet... he always got a lot of attention. And of course, she didn't want to ask him directly. She didn't want to sink to such measures admittedly. This was just something she had to do to survive. The scent of the Yagami boy was nearby, but there were too many people around for her to find him.  
  
" Hah! On the run, are you, Moonlight?" the Knight jeered as he watched the fox-lady turn her heels away.  
  
" I have better targets than your weak kind."  
  
The Knight commanded his PecoPeco to chase after her. " No one gets away from Dynas with such low insults!" the Knight bellowed in fury.  
  
A pink Assassin by his side followed. " I still have to get revenge for the insults to my attire," the pink Assassin added, " Come face Rhodo! Don't be a coward!"  
  
Taichi ran ahead to make sure Moonlight didn't fall out of his sight. Unfortunately, he didn't make sure YAMATO had him in sight...  
  
' I need to get close enough to get the MVP item before anyone else does... but I can't let her see me... and there might not even be an item. And... GAH! Too many things against me... but she has to go... and now...' he thought, ' At least the other MVPs don't know who I am... or do they?'  
  
" Moonlight..." he found himself saying in thought. Was there something more than the haughty MVP tendencies under that fox skin? She acted too human sometimes...  
  
They say she was just raised by Nine Tail... but what of her powers? Without noticing, he almost stepped past the last combatant before the clearing where Moonlight had moved to. Dynas and Rhodo were taking her on while everyone else waited for an opportunity. A hand pulled him back.  
  
" Taichi!" the voice accompanying the hand hissed, " Pay heed..."  
  
Taichi found himself staring at an out of breath Yamato, still handsome in his Angelband and Archer outfit. Yamato's gloves had a good grip on him. With hundreds of battles happening around them, it was amazing that he could focus on Yamato, or Yamato could focus on Taichi at all.  
  
It was as if they were in a time drift where everything around them passed by in fast-motion. There was hardly a more comforting feeling than that PRESENCE. And within that presence, he could reflect in an instant. Reflect through everything that had happened since he had met Yamato... reflection meld into revelation.  
  
~" No, you aren't." Yamato refusing to let him go to Prontera with him...  
  
" Hey, this is mine, you idiot!" Yamato's reaction as Taichi went after his Angelband...  
  
" Taichi, stop dwindling..."  
  
" What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
" I don't really sleep... I just try..."  
  
" Cute..."  
  
" I would... I do..."~  
  
Taichi felt relieved all of a sudden.  
  
" I will, Yama," Taichi said, resting his hand around Yamato's waist. the touch extinguished the blonde's chastising disposition.  
  
Ahead, Moonlight swung her bell-stick, sending Dynas and Rhodo out of sight... literally. Others took her place, but one by one, they were taken out of sight...  
  
Yamato's mind clicked. He hadn't intentionally meant to react so much to Taichi's action, but it couldn't be helped. Taichi had that beautiful effect on him, after all... He leaned forward and rested his head on Taichi's shoulder. He could still feel that time drift around them... no one was watching, nor did he care.  
  
Taichi softened as well, taking his bow arm around Yamato.  
  
Yamato found it somewhat awkward that he seemed to be the weaker of the two at the moment, even though he was the mentor...  
  
' Fate... I was born as a natural Hunter, Taichi with this duty.'  
  
An overwhelming feeling of acceptance swarmed him.  
  
" Go, Taichi," he said softly, yet firmly.  
  
" Yes, master!" Taichi replied with sudden fire. He flashed Yamato a mischevious smile before turning and running out.  
  
The irony was too amusing. Yamato couldn't help but smile back. For once, he was able to put his full trust in someone without regretting it. Taichi had the ability to change... change himself, change Yamato...  
  
" Moonlight, this is where it ends!" Taichi shouted as he moved past the clearing and launched an arrow in her direction.  
  
****  
  
Dynas - Knight  
Weapon: Katzbalger  
Head 1: Bone Helm  
Head 3: Iron Cain  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Full Plate (Orc Lord)  
Shoes: Boots (Eddga)  
Accessory: Ring x2  
  
Rhodo - Assassin  
Weapon: Critical Jamadhar (Solder Skeleton)  
Head 1: Angel Helm  
Head 3: Assassin Mask  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Ninja Suit (Ghostring)  
Shoes: Boots (Matyr)  
Accessory: Brooch x2 (Yoyo)  
  
This is fun. ^_^; Forgot most of the card-equip names... oh well. Pretty weak, aren't they. XD  
  
YES, reviews would do me so much! ^_________^;  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	12. To Bring You Back

****  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 12: To Bring You Back  
****  
  
Lemon chapter! Uncensored, full version of this chapter is on the website. It's a little over 2,200 words longer: gottaito.fateback.com/fics/WFT12Lemon.htm  
  
kawaiidark: Hehe, yeah... I'm one of those kinds of people who get all freaked out about releasing short chapters... yet... often, shorter fics get more reviews. Makes me want to shorten my chapters. Who wants that? *hint* Thank you so much for the review! *GLOMP*  
  
Dragi: Yeah, Takuya and Kouji are in this one. And very much of them. o_o;  
  
Sillie: Angst is fun~ x3 I'm thinking of changing the Romance categorizing to Angst...  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: Wow, thank you for such nice encouragement! ^_^ *gogos*  
  
KawaiiKaren: MVP funnage! o.o; If you didn't know, I knew about Rogues long before they came out for any server. I didn't want to put them in because I didn't have any personal experience with them (winging it wouldn't do me very well). iRO is like... the last server to get updates. Rare items are usually about luck, too. XD On the old private server I used to play (drop rates were like... 3-10x higher than usual, which is a good difference, but not an insanely high one like some other private servers have), there's been at least 3 MVPs where I got its card the first time I MVPed it, and several monsters where I got its HB on first try, etc. Probably to make up for all the terrible luck I had on official servers...  
XDDD~ FMA~ Envy hasn't really changed from manga to Anime, which is good. With Winry and just about every other girl, they've added a lot of... yah. Thanks for the Japanese site D It didn't work for me ... o.o; A lot of the Japanese Digimon art sites I went to do FMA art now. ^^ Thanks for the review! *glomphuggletackle*  
  
Lady Moon3: Lol, did you forget that Taichi's using the Doppelganger bow? Even if he had a normal bow, it's not impossible for him to kill Moonlight. Dop's just a symbol of support.  
  
For this chapter and the next chapter, the events at the beginning occur before the end of the previous chapter. Each chapter will continue the story, however.  
  
Kind of a strange chapter in general... but I hope you like it still. ^^;;;  
  
Additional notes:  
Warp portals can't lead into dungeons, but they can be used inside dungeons.  
  
****  
  
~Nothing happens without effort~  
  
****  
  
The brunette was still mumbling in his disarrayed state. His mask was not fully off, showing slightly parted lips that occasionally flickered to the boy's vocal chords.  
  
Kouichi had still not returned from his " walk," much to Kouji's curiosity. And Moonlight was off in... who knows where. Actually, he had not felt this much privacy since he could remember...  
  
Nor had he ever been alone with someone who moved him so much that it scared him. Not that he could remember much. Or maybe... something was hidden. Just like an Assassin hides in the dark corners for tactile situations, perhaps Moonlight had some kind of hold on HIM... But how could that be possible? He used to tell himself... he needed no other memories than what he had... this was his personal survival. He owed his life to Moonlight. That was all that existed to him.  
  
No... why was he getting these feelings, these instincts? The Horong who instinctively stalk intruders, the Munak who bounce in suspended air eternally, the Nine Tail who obey their master without question, with silent understanding... Why couldn't he be like them? Why was he even aware? He was no machine... he had weaknesses... and he felt ashamed of it. He knew he was human, and he wasn't sure whether he should be grateful or not.  
  
And this... this boy, this single, particular boy who changed everything he thought about. Kouji sat next to him, crossing his legs and sitting with natural pride.  
  
Kouji swallowed deeply, realizing his saliva was building at a faster rate. That usually happened before he ate... peculiar. He stared at the ground as if it were a stranger. He glanced around himself. Everything... strange. Unfamiliar, he really didn't know how he ended up here... he had no personal memories before knowing that he owed Moonlight. His instincts... or the instincts Moonlight gave him?  
  
Well, he could change, couldn't he? He didn't have to stay the same for the moment. No one else was around to see any folly. He could let himself go just this moment. He was curious... so curious. He had to know... perhaps it would be better for everyone in the end. Better for Moonlight, for Kouichi, for the boy, for himself. Just this once...  
  
" No... come back..." the brunette mumbled. He shifted as if some nightmare had him captive, although he wasn't asleep. Kouji pulled his Pirate bandana off and tucked it into a side bandage for safe-keeping, then he retied his ponytail. He inched closer to the other Assassin, waiting for his presence to be noticed. He stared for a good five minutes with no progress.  
  
That boy sure liked to have illusions.  
  
Kouji didn't want to have to talk to the boy, either. He wasn't much of a talker, being an Assassin. He was careful in the past to have Kouichi to do it all, as Kouji was concerned that he would say something out of line. The taboo meant risking his life. Was it worth the risk...?  
  
The brunette's eyes flickered upon, and ever so slowly... he spotted Kouji. There was a native sign of confidence in those eyes, one that gave him an intangible message.  
  
' Yes. It will be worth the risk.'  
  
" Boy," he said, barely letting the other hear him.  
  
The brunette seemed to avoid his gaze all of a sudden, causing a little muscle to hurt inside Kouji. He pretended not to notice. ' Just the adrenal glands...' Then he realized that the boy was looking to see if there was anyone else...  
  
" Why is it... just you..."  
  
Kouji could sense the weakness in that voice, stimulating another foreign feeling in him...  
  
" The others are busy at the moment," Kouji said shortly.  
  
" Oh..." Barely moving, the boy resigned to lying lifeless. Kouji wondered if he had spent all his energy twisting around (umm...). He waited some more; He waited as a lion waits for his pride, with patience that still held a firm notion of dominance. He was trusted to keep in charge, after all.  
  
He needed to move on, however. There was no knowing when his comrade would return, or if Moonlight would drop by.  
  
Still, it was difficult for a person of silence to shift to one of conversation. He went through the thoughts in his mind again, reflecting on past events. He found something and voiced it before it could be lost.  
  
" Do you know me?" the pony-tailed one asked.  
  
Kouji was opening doors to a dangerous world, much more dangerous than any MVP could render.  
  
" I thought I did."  
  
" ...Do I know you?" he asked slowly.  
  
The boy opened his eyes at last. " That's something only YOU would know."  
  
Kouji tilted back visibly, taken from the sudden stance. The boy seemed angry at him.  
  
" I... I am not aware... This is why I ask."  
  
The brunette stopped his sulking position and sat more upright. He had his wake-up call.  
  
A serious gleam clouded the area in the dungeon, darkening the already hidden haven that Kouji called home. This was his moment of truth.  
  
" You choose who you want to be," the boy muttered, " I tried. I killed Moonlight, thinking it would set you free. But... now, I don't know what to do."  
  
Kouji heard this, but the meaning behind it was still vague to him. He had thought that there was no possible way to set himself free. " I do not need freedom. I owe my life to Moonlight. I'm not enslaved."  
  
" How could you possibly owe ANYTHING to Moonlight?" the boy asked, thoroughly juxtaposed.  
  
Kouji hesitated. What... " When all of mankind is extinguished, only the MVPs' servants will shall remain among the humans. Moonlight is my savior."  
  
The boy sighed in exasperation. " You sound worse than the Acolytes who come to Morroc to preach Thieves..."  
  
Kouji looked at him with empty eyes. " That was my mishap... I... I just want to get this plaguing feeling off me."  
  
" What feeling?" the boy said distastefully.  
  
Kouji turned over so that an arm was on either side of the boy. " The feeling that resonates when I do this."  
  
The boy looked at him, seemingly nonchalant with a stern face.  
  
Kouji kneeled in closer, so close that he could feel the other's breath on his cheeks. With a complacent expression, he lifted a hand to the boy's face. " The feeling that overcomes me when I touch you..."  
  
The brunette visibly blushed, but he refused to give in to the temptation... This wasn't what he wanted... not all of it...  
  
" The feeling that I DO know you," Kouji said when he observed the boy's (lack of) response.  
  
" I wish..."  
  
They remained still, Kouji patient for a full response.  
  
Takuya opened his mouth to speak again, then stopped. His heart was beating so heavily. Beating so heavily that it clouded his mind... he couldn't think straight. Did he even want to?  
  
The brunette Assassin allowed himself to be swallowed in Kouji's gaze with his last words, remembering past events. The days before they left Morroc... the brunette often found himself longing for the other boy to stay by him... he was afraid that some day they would be separated, but more afraid that they would separate because one had DESIRED it... when he first became aware of Kouji's returning emotion, he thought he would be set. He trusted their connection too much; he was overconfident that nothing could stop them as long as they had their feelings for each other.  
  
He had been ashamed after he found out the reality. How could he be so naïve? How could he be so inattentive? He wanted to repent for his failure by retrieving what he had lost with his own skills, but even that failed. So many things he needed to know as well....  
  
This person in front of him was Kouji. Even if he wasn't complete in memory and mind, it was still Kouji. Takuya could tell simply by his presence that his entity had not changed. He was just... how could he say it... lost? Kouji was lost... lost and confused. Yet, he was still willing to show his weakness in front of Takuya. Did he unconsciously trust Takuya that much? Even in their situation, Kouji still trusted him?  
  
And it came to him. He could find out now. He could find out if he could make up for all of their lost time. It was all lying in front of him, accepting, waiting. Better yet... another bird to kill...  
  
What an opportunity.  
  
Pacingly, he reached over Kouji's back and brought himself closer. Already, he could see a part of Kouji that had been held back since Moonlight appeared. He could release it now...  
  
Kouji's lips had never felt so tender before.  
  
It was like his life had been renewed. He was given something very special. It was a new chance...  
  
Kouji moved his lips against his softly, hesitant for lack of memory in such a field...  
  
" K...Kouji..." he said softly as he pulled back slightly, " I'll not leave your side again."  
  
" What..." the pony-tailed Assassin was still somewhat lost, but he was clearly aware of the emotions that were surfacing within him. " Boy..."  
  
' You know who I am... you must,' Takuya thought with need, ' Please.'  
  
The brunette leaned back to the padded ground, bringing Kouji with him. He brought a dexterous hand to the shoulder covering on the other's body. No words were exchanged as they got a close look at each other with guises that were suddenly unfamiliar and new. A few clicking batterings ensued, and the shoulder coverings fell to the ground. Kouji let them drop.  
  
Kouji, in his still mindset, found similar objects of obstruction on Takuya, and he proceeded to take them off.  
  
Takuya ran his hand with feathery touches on Kouji's bandaged torso and unraveled them one strip at a time. This was it...  
  
****  
  
A petit bird ventured near the dark-haired Priest as he sat on the fence outside Payon Dungeon. For some reason, he found himself not minding the isolation from the babbling parties relaxing nearby. Their chatter had no affect on him as he stared at the grass with dull interest. The pain inside him was constant now. He was getting used to it, but it still worried him. The bird lifted active legs to inch closer, tilting its head from side to side.  
  
Kouichi took notice of it and offered a hand. The bird accepted. As he moved the head-cocking bird to his lap, he asked himself, " What am I doing?"  
  
His will to live... he had questioned Kouji's before leaving, but he wasn't too sure himself. Would there be a point if the only humans living were servants of the MVPs? What would that do to the future? " Where should I fight?"  
  
He stared at the bird, envying its freedom. The bird continued cocking its head, unaware of the human's distraught feelings.  
  
How had he ended up this way? Something seemed so empty... not only the pain swelling inside him, but his mind felt cluttered, as if memories were struggling to crawl out, but something was holding them back. For now, he could only think...  
  
Then the battle in Payon Town began.  
  
****  
  
Kouichi touched his kneading forehead... something unpleasant was developing. The pain inside him grew more fierce as if some beast had been released to prey upon his every being. Whatever was going on in the town, he didn't want to get involved in his condition. A nearby female gave him a concerned look. He smiled weakly at her to get her to smile back courteously before jumping off the fence. It took him great willpower to walk into the dungeon normally with the pounding in his insides. He wouldn't surprised if some monster burst from within his stomach...  
  
As soon as the battlers in the cave camouflaged his actions, he began to teleport deeper into the cave. His breathing became ragged as he found it difficult to find oxygen. Something was happening to his comrade, to Kouji...  
  
" S... shit..." he murmured, evoking a strange glance from the Blacksmith with the Romantic Leaf casually hanging from his lazy mouth. He teleported again and felt relieved to see the familiar temple walls. He needed to see someone familiar...  
  
He cringed openly now. The pain was growing so heavy, he couldn't hold back if he tried, anyway. He leaned against the wall for support.  
  
' Kouji... what is going on...'  
  
Casting spells on himself had absolutely no effect. No. He had no time to even think about casting spells. He just had to find Kouji.  
  
" Teleport."  
  
Over and over, teleporting, getting closer to the corner of the shrine area where Kouji and the boy were. He wasn't completely sure why he was going there, but it was the most rational thing on his mind. He didn't feel much sanity left in him, anyway. With all the strange occurrences involving humans and Moonlight... He KNEW something was missing, but he couldn't put a finger to what it was...  
  
He encountered a flash of a soft, pink taint... then turned away. He could not bring himself to look further, as even the short glimpse of the scene now behind him brough him a queer feeling in his gut.  
  
The view of Kouji and the boy's naked bodies entwined together in deep slumber would not disappear from Kouichi's imagination. Legs crossed over each other, arms bearing each other's backs, lips pressed against sweet skin...  
  
The banging in his mind became more intense. How quixotic... how painful... Suddenly, a bright flash of yellow slashed through his consciousness and sent him on the ground only several feet from the others.   
  
A small girl sparkled in his vision, clad with soft, plush paws and a bell-stick. She drifted away like a sand-painting blown by a heavy wind, falling apart particle by particle. In place, a pony-tailed boy who looked similar to him and a brunette with such a gentle expression materialized. And all Kouichi could do was watch and wonder.  
  
Who was she? Who were the boys?  
  
Kouji.  
  
Takuya.  
  
' And I am... Kouichi. This is I. I'm... a Priest? ...Sweet...'  
  
****  
  
Raspberry brown eyes opened peacefully in the silent cave. Takuya felt strangely fatigued, then he remembered what had happened. He could have sworn Kouji had cried out his name during their intercourse. Was it just his longing imagination?  
  
" Mm... Takuya..."  
  
No... It was true.  
  
" Kouji..." he cupped the pony-tailed Assassin's cheek and stared more intently, " Are you..."  
  
" What have I been doing?" Kouji said creackingly, glancing all around Takuya.  
  
" Moonlight possessed you, but you're back to normal, right? I'll not leave you again..." Takuya nuzzled his nose against Kouji's chest, sincerely loving his presence. He folded his eyebrow in worry when Kouji didn't answer. He backed up and looked at him.  
  
Kouji held his forehead, abruptly wincing.  
  
" Why do I remember all of these things..." he grumbled, " ...but I don't remember DOING them?"  
  
Takuya gaped. " You remember..." What else could he say?  
  
" Kouichi's here," Kouji added.  
  
Takuya turned to where the other had turned his head. The Priest was lying flat on his stomach not far from them. Kouji quickly covered himself and crawled over to the Priest. He turned the Priest over and bringing his eyes open as he did.  
  
" What... what happened..." he said at first. The others waited while he gained some focus. The Priest lethargically observed his surroundings, first noticing Takuya dressing in the back. Eventually, realization dawned on him. " We should get out of here. It's too dark here."  
  
Kouichi put his hand to his hair for a moment as if he wanted to scratch his head, but he merely kept it there. " Take... a warp portal..." He lifted a hand and hesitantly, but surely, he said, " Warp Portal!"  
  
Kouji and Takuya hopped into the pillar of light he created. Kouichi glanced at the shrine one last time, somewhat confused, before following the other two.  
  
" So..." Takuya's words broke the five-minute silence outside Payon. The sun was shining brightly on them, illuminating their sweat-drawn bodies. The area outside Payon Dungeon was eerily empty. " Where is everyone?"  
  
Kouichi stared at his robes. " I think they all moved into the city... something's going on there."  
  
Kouji stared at his Katars. " Let's check it out."  
  
Without another word, they headed out. Kouichi and Kouji moved fluidly; Takuya found that he had to take extra strides to keep up with their natural walk. Moonlight's influence remained in them, but they were different people now. Even if whatever control that was on them was off... they were still different.  
  
Takuya swallowed. Was this the best he could do? Was this the best option?  
  
They crossed a straight path and over a hillside to look into the city. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw... Bodies were everywhere, bodies of humans, monsters, unrecognizable beings. Some were obviously dead, while others struggled for life. A male Alchemist desperately tried to heal his leg while fending off arrows from an Orc Archer. An Acolyte in another corner was fleeing for his life from the MVP Mistress and her pack of bees. A Merchant was reviving a Priest with a Yggdrasil Leaf, begging her to heal him and the Thief next to him. A part of his face was missing, as if it had been butchered off. Every foot in the area was covered in people and monsters, nothing but pure acts of violence.  
  
Kouichi moved a hand to his mouth in contained shock as a bloody Obeanu sailed across his view.  
  
Takuya noticed and wondered. The possessed Kouichi wouldn't have been receptive to blood at all.  
  
" Watch out!" someone cried wildly. The three glanced around on instinct. Kouji's eyes widened.  
  
" Takuya!!!"  
  
Kouji set himself in front of the brunette in a split second. A streak of... _something_ went straight for him. He raised one of his Katar arms and cocked it so that he faced its edge. The streak split right into two as it soared through the Katar. Kouji's eye twitched as something green and gooey landed on his Assassin mask. Green...  
  
" What.. was that?" he said cautiously, refusing to look anywhere but straight ahead of him for the moment.  
  
Takuya, dagger raised in late preparation, stared at Kouji in slight disbelief.  
  
" An Anolian," a nearby Knight remarked before charging out. " Nice kill!" he called back.  
  
At last, Kouji looked to his sides to see the camouflaging green splattered among the grass. He was surprised to see that the sight didn't irk him at all. He couldn't say the same for Kouichi, who was right next to one of the sides.  
  
Kouichi appeared as if he was about to vomit at the sight of the spilled alligator guts. Its mouth hung indolently. The left arm twitched. The tail flopped over the right arm... Both sides reeked of fish. The plush-haired boy's eyes were stalk white.  
  
" You okay, Kouichi?" Kouji asked.  
  
" O... of course."  
  
Kouji blinked. There was something very unusual about this...  
  
" Well... it's nice to have you back," Takuya said out of the blue.  
  
Both ex-servants to Moonlight turned and stood there, unable to do anything. Where was the humor?  
  
" It's nice to be back," Kouji replied after a pause. " Does this mean Moonlight has been..."  
  
" No idea... she might be here," Takuya said, noticing an MVP Osiris slashing through a mass of 2nd classmen. " There're quite a few big ones here... MVPs..."  
  
All three rotated to hunt for their prey, specifically a yellow patch of fur-- Kouichi found it almost immediately.  
  
" Over there!" He pointed for a moment before dropping his arm altogether. " Oh my God..."  
  
Several recognizable figures stood in a large plain where everyone else had dispersed from. This plain was no longer and ordinary spot of greenery and peace. Crimson stained every grass blade in the center. Drenched blots littered the flatness of the area. Drenched blots... of animal parts...  
  
" It's her," Kouichi said emptily, " But those others..."  
  
Two boys remained plotted off-center from Moonlight's gruesome figure, unaware of the stares gawking upon them. The sight sent mousey chills through all of them. Takuya found himself leaning onto Kouji's back.  
  
" Taichi and Yamato..." the brunette murmured, eyes watering. Kouji put an arm around his waist in comfort. He had just come back to reality, and already such atrocities came to face him.  
  
When would the suffering end?  
  
****  
  
*Big, happy grin* Review...?  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	13. Of Strength

----  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 13: Of Strength  
----  
  
For now, I'll succumb to FF.N's homophobic Quickedit formatting. At least there are still places like MM.org and adultfanfiction that don't give in pointless politics. But... I want to keep writing.   
  
Does anybody want me to write out explanations for the little quotes at the beginning of every chap? I get the feeling they're too vague for some people. Or am I paranoid? .-.  
  
Substitute for Love/Pinneh: Weee for the fanfiction world! It's never to late to start it again. XD Thanks for the review, Pinneh-!  
  
Dragi: It's so cute how you end all of your reviews with "love." Thank you -  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: "Chido?" What language is that? XD Kudos! -glomp-  
  
kawaiidark: Glad we got the little issue settled. XD Thank you so much for leaving feedback-  
  
Rave-n: Yamato's... part... thing... Which part thing? My mind went completely to the gutter at first. There are several things awaiting Yamato... D  
  
Lady Moon3: Omg... heavy petting... xDDDD I love that! The events in this chapter also occur during the... petting. XD Hope it explains a little. Censorship fails in the world today. -  
  
Keiito Ishida: Mya, I love your reviews!! You're so insightful -nudgepokeglomptackle-. Citrus writing takes so long...! I feel so strange writing it! The Frontier gang still have quite some exploration left in the relationship field. D  
  
KawaiiKaren: Thanks for the spam, I shall make good use of it! -glomp- Darn FF.N.  
  
devilsalternative: Your mom is sick? Oh. ;p  
  
BloodMistress: Confused? Feel free to ask in more detail, although I try my best to answer stuff in notes or the story itself... ;  
  
And this chapter has many corny scenes. BEWARE. -  
  
----  
  
-A cygnet that refuses to mature remains ugly forever-  
  
----  
  
' She spotted me. She dodged. I was not discouraged. I kept shooting. I shot silver arrows. I always love silver arrows, they shine with such lively power. They make me believe in light...'  
  
' This was my choice... lightness over darkness. Creation over destruction. Love over hate.'  
  
' Belief... choice... why do certain unrelated words have so much in common?'  
  
' Exist... I will exist for Yamato.'  
  
' I shot. Shot for human lives. Shot for Yamato. Shot for myself.'  
  
" Yagami boy... you impudent..."  
  
' Meaningless words to me. All that mattered right now was what happened...'  
  
' An arrow landed in her thigh, her arm, but none in vital areas. She moved with insane swiftness, twitching a muscle, flicking a wrist. It didn't really bring my confidence up... still, I kept shooting. She couldn't live forever. Nothing lasts forever...'  
  
" Why do you fight so persistently? Do you humans value your lives so greedily?"  
  
" Do you monsters value YOUR lives so greedily?"  
  
' No answers were given. Only actions. Perhaps we were all feeling exceedingly supercilious.'  
  
' No... I did have an answer. Moonlight did as well... we just never mentioned them. Moonlight fought for herself. She could care less about the other MVPs. I fought for everyone I had to protect... Even if she was human, she threatened all others...'  
  
' This thought carried my attacks, allowing my arrows to do damage. My arrows did... Moonlight didn't even have room to fight back. She struggled... she summoned a Nine Tail, who lunged after me. An arrow came into its side and caused it to miss me. I turned... Yamato was there, smiling beautifully. Of course he wouldn't just stand there...'  
  
' He ran across to continue attacking the Nine Tail. Moonlight caught fury in her eyes at that time. I didn't know what hit me first, but soon she was face-to-face with me, my bow taken out of my reach.'  
  
" I'll just kill you since I already have one of your comrades. I should have done this long ago... DIE!"  
  
' I had no time to heed her words. She swung her bell stick. I grabbed it out of her grip like she had done to my bow. We glared at each other.'  
  
' Carnage broke loose. I brought out my Cutter, which I had not used for... so long, and slashed like mad.'  
  
" I won't let you do any more harm to us, Moonlight!"  
  
' Red gushed out everywhere. I remembered slashing like a butcher, merciless and frustrated. I also remembered Moonlight clutching my head as I thrust the Cutter into her chest area. I hit her heart. But... I went down as well. I went down to the same place she did.'  
  
' I could sense Yamato kneeling at my side, pulling me away from the disgusting display of red and onto his lap. He touched me anxiously, calling my name over and over again. I couldn't answer... my eyes remained closed and I stayed limp against him. I wanted to answer him... I tried with my whole will, and nothing came out. He cried on my shoulder, curling onto himself.'  
  
" Moonlight."  
  
' She stood in front of me, staring at the nonexistant ground in her dark abyss. I stood opposite of her. We were two lost beings with the same rights.'  
  
" I won't go. And I'm sure you don't want to, either. But one of us has to win."  
  
" Is that true?" I asked. Moonlight furrowed her eyebrow in question. " Does there have to be a winning side? What happened to cooperation?"  
  
" That's the law of survival. Think about it. You humans spend so much time valuing 'care,' 'love,'" she spoke with a sneering tone at each word. " You don't realize that all of this ' love' is your weakness. This 'love' that you succumb to will lead to your destruction. You insist on keeping each other alive... and you destroy the balance of the world in order to keep your kind in power! And you overcrowd, and you continue to overcrowd. Ever heard of maximum capacity?"  
  
" Why are you telling me this?"  
  
" Why are you asking me such a question? Is it because you don't want to hear it? You don't want to hear that your actions will lead to the death of all humans sooner or later?"  
  
' I fell silent... a tense silence.'  
  
" I'll go for the latter. Moonlight... you lost long ago. I will stand by my current decision. In case you haven't figured it out, even THIS is a fight for survival between you and me. I have people who are depending on me out there... I won't let you get in the way of their happiness."  
  
" And I won't let you get in the way of MINE! Your selflessness will only cause the ending of all humans, anyway. I'm practically doing you a favor."  
  
" Favor my ASS! What happens will happen, learn to accept it as it comes. If you don't... you won't survive!"  
  
" SELFISH BOY!"  
  
' We charged... and I realized... unless I fought with all of my will, without a doubt in my mind, I would not be able to defeat her. If I gave a hint of sympathy for her, I would lose.'  
  
' Our heads were about to hit, when, suddenly-'  
  
" TAICHI!"  
  
' Yamato's voice...'  
  
' Moonlight's eyes widened in fear. I struck.'  
  
" Impossible... how could he have reached this place? I... this is my place... I rule it..."  
  
' Moonlight fell to her knees in front of me.'  
  
" This is your power? Sickening..."  
  
' I looked upon her, unsure of what to say.'  
  
" Your destruction is inevitable... and with such power, the event will be beyond dreadful. Why couldn't you just let me free?"  
  
' She started to fade. And I could feel the guilt-welling inside me already. I felt less kind.'  
  
" Don't think you're fighting on the good side..." she said before she closed her lips forever.  
  
' I wanted to tell her why I did what I did. I wanted to show her the beautiful person I was fighting for, the wonderful beings in my life who I wanted to cherish for years to come. She thought that getting rid of all of us would eliminate all of our suffering and bring her happiness. I gave her an opportunity to end her loneliness. Maybe she'll take it, maybe she won't. For now, we could move on.'  
  
' I wanted to show her why I wanted to suffer by living rather than dying. Why fighting for more than oneself means so much more...'  
  
' Abruptly, all went white.'  
  
----  
  
" Taichi..."  
  
Rusty, brown eyes fluttered open to his new desire's gaze. " Did we do it?"  
  
" Look in your hands."  
  
The brunette peered down and came across a long yellow tuff of fur across his palms. " A tail..."  
  
" That's not all," Yamato added, taking one of Taichi's hands into his own. Taichi felt something solid and smooth slip into his grip. " A Topaz jewel for your interest."  
  
The blonde Archer smiled, fully content. Taichi, sitting on the plain, held the stone in front of him and observed its glistening shine. The golden reflection caught the afternoon sun's rays and beamed a light of hope. Hope...  
  
" It's beautiful," Taichi said. It was a large jewel indeed, occupying all of Taichi's grip and more. He was mesmerized.  
  
Around them, various people applauded, while others continued fighting the monsters in the vicinity.  
  
" Congrats!" one of them hollared.  
  
" Thanks..." Taichi said, itching the back of his Kittyband. He turned his head as he noticed several people walking towards him. " Hey, you're..."  
  
He looked around for Crossbow and frantically grabbed it. " Don't come any closer! Your master's gone."  
  
They shook their heads. " We're not under her control any more."  
  
Taichi counted... ' Kouji, Assassin... Kouichi, Priest... and Takuya, Assassin... whoa, haven't seen him in a while.' Taichi raised his eyebrows. " ...Control?"  
  
The pony-tailed Assassin let his Katars hang listlessly against his side. " Moonlight... she had us. Psychic... mind-control, you know."  
  
" I'm not convinced." Taichi aimed his Crossbow.  
  
" U-uh..." Kouji pulled down his Assassin mask and raised his arms in a surrendering gesture. " You don't see me pointing my blade at Takuya, do you?"  
  
" Why would you? You're after ME."  
  
The Priest sighed. " They don't know some details, it seems."  
  
Kouji's expression lifted, then settled back to his normal nonchalant frown. " Details later. We need to clean up the mess in this town."  
  
The other Assassin perked. " Kouji... you actually want to fight for once?"  
  
" Takuya..." his ponytail flew as he turned on his heel. " I have a reason to fight now."  
  
They stared at each other in silence. However, their moment was broken as a booming sound shook their senses.  
  
" GYARGH! Who sealed Moonlight? Who dared to defy us of our living?"  
  
Taichi announced himself before anyone could stop him. Yamato freaked. " Taichi! Not a good idea! That's..."  
  
" LORD OF VERMILLION!"  
  
" Baphomet..." Yamato grabbed Taichi's arm. " Get out of here, fast!"  
  
They sprinted out of the plain with the other 2nd classmen following closely behind. The entire plain suddenly erupted in radiating lava. The impact was so ferocious that Taichi could feel the ground shaking beneath him even though he was far away from the actual attack.  
  
" Any place is safer for us than this place right now," the Priest noted. " We can't fight someone like Baphomet yet... I'm warping us out."  
  
He set up a warp portal and pushed the two brunettes in. Kouji glanced back at the area before gritting his teeth and hopping in to the portal. " The one time I'm in the mood..."  
  
" See you on the other side," Yamato said as he entered as well.  
  
" Prontera... again?"  
  
This time, Taichi wasted no time gawking at the mass of vending stores. Yamato walked up to him and touched his shoulder. " You have to admit, it has a lot of good meeting places."  
  
The Priest's warp had led them to the graveyard behind the Prontera church. The tall church's shadow overlooked the tombs and crosses that jutted out from the grass. Nobody else came by. They sat with their backs against the church wall.  
  
" So... a plan of action..." Takuya began. He and Kouji stood up and put their hands to their chins in thought. They did it in such sync, Kouichi couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
" Takuya, care to explain first?" Yamato said plainly.  
  
" Oh yeah... Well, Moonlight had possessed Kouichi and Kouji to act as her servants. And... um... for some reason, they took me captive rather than killing me..."  
  
" Aa," Kouji interupted somewhat meekly. " Moonlight identified you as the inheritor of one of the four humans that sealed the MVPs a thousand years ago."  
  
" W..." A shocked expression bestowed itself onto Takuya's face. " How... I... I never knew my family..."  
  
" That's not the only thing that needs explaining," Kouichi added, " I don't know why I'm in this mess in the first place. We had only met in a party once prior to the encounter with Moonlight, so..."  
  
" Yes, it's very strange..."  
  
" I'm tired," Taichi said lightly, " Now that Moonlight's sealed, our main threat is gone. We should take a break."  
  
" Not so fast," Kouichi interjected, " Moonlight's nothing compared to some other MVPs like Doppelganger and Baphomet. We can't have a break with them around."  
  
" Relax, Kouichi," Takuya said, smiling, " We've been through a lot, and we kind of need a break. The other MVPs don't really know who we are, or at least they haven't gone after us. And we need some time to train, if what you say about the other MVPs is true."  
  
Kouichi sighed. " Ah, you're right. I do feel rather fatigued..."  
  
" Exactly! How about we meet back here in 7 suns?" Takuya recommended.  
  
" Suns?" Yamato queried.  
  
" In a week at this time," Kouji corrected.  
  
" All right," Yamato said, nodding. He turned to give Taichi a vague look... but Taichi had a pretty nice grip of what that look meant...  
  
The brunette with the Kittyband blinked innocently, then changed his view to the other three boys.  
  
" I'll go with Takuya and Kouji to help them train, if that's all right with them."  
  
" Okay," Kouji replied. Takuya smiled again, softer this time.  
  
" One week, then..."  
  
" Yeah... we should go to Glast Heim... good training there," Kouichi suggested, " And maybe we can figure out a few things."  
  
They strolled off, Kouichi blabbing some nonsense about zombies.  
  
" Hmm... can we go item shopping?" Taichi asked meekly.  
  
Tiredly, Yamato leaned until his chin rested on the brunette's shoulder. " Yeah..."  
  
" Euh... don't go to sleep yet! We've only been active for a few hours."  
  
" I thought I had lost you..."  
  
Taichi blinked. He didn't know how to respond at first.  
  
" Oh... sorry," he said, " If you want, we can find a place to rest."  
  
" No, it's okay. I think looking around will liven me up for the better."  
  
The Prontera market was busy as usual, people putting up signs for auctions and card trades, headgears, weapons of all sorts.  
  
" Oh yeah... with all the killing we've been doing, we're loaded with zeny, too," Yamato noted.  
  
" How much?"  
  
He checked himself before he answered. " A few million."  
  
" Geh..." Taichi's eyes widened. Mrs. Gates wasn't lying when she said she could sell the Doppelganger card for such a high price. " How did we get so much?"  
  
" Well... Merchant connection. I get discounts by getting elemental arrows for 2z instead of 3z, and I have Merchants overcharge our loot. It's really worth the effort."  
  
Taichi wondered. " Maybe I should've been a Merchant."  
  
As the brunette idly gazed at one of the Merchant's shield inventory, Yamato pulled him in, causing him to squeak.  
  
" You make a much better Archer," the blonde said bluntly.  
  
Taichi blushed. People around them were staring... " You sure about that?"  
  
" I am. Oh... accessory cards."  
  
" Huh?"  
  
Yamato broke out of their grip, much to Taichi's confusion. " And the accessories, too..."  
  
Taichi watched quietly as Yamato quickly made a business transaction. When he came back, he thrust a couple gloves into Taichi's hands.  
  
" Wear 'em," Yamato half-commanded.  
  
" But I like my own gloves! I don't need new ones."  
  
" You'll like these more. Trust me."  
  
After a suspicious look, Taichi complied and exchanged his gloves. Instantly, he could feel the difference.  
  
" What's on these?"  
  
" Kobold cards," Yamato answered, " They're like the Solder Skeleton cards."  
  
Taichi stared at them silently, Yamato standing absent-mindedly next to him.  
  
" Yamato..." he started very seriously, but then... " Thank you!" He latched onto the blonde.  
  
" Oi, public, Taichi. Public..."  
  
" Since when did you care about that? Cuddling up to me earlier..." Taichi half-pouted as he detached himself.  
  
" Well, I don't, really. It's just... eh... just let me sell your old gloves first."  
  
He did so, then wandered over to Taichi's side, bringing an arm around the brunette's waist. Taichi just gaped slightly.  
  
They browsed through a few shops cuddled together like that, warm feelings comforting them. Yamato never wanted to let go...  
  
" See anything you like?" Yamato said softly. " Then again, you'd like just about anything here."  
  
" Hey, I have preferences... how about that?"  
  
Yamato turned to observe the flower Taichi was gazing towards.  
  
" A witherless rose? ...Why?"  
  
" It's... romantic?"  
  
" I don't put such value in inanimate objects."  
  
" Then what about this Kittyband?"  
  
" That was purchased for a different purpose," Yamato replied with a straight face.  
  
" Right... right..." Taichi said, patting Yamato's back, " You don't have to get it. I was just playing with you."  
  
" ...Okay..."  
  
" But, hey, can I try your Angelband yet?"  
  
" Um..."  
  
" Just this once-"  
  
" Eh? But-"  
  
" Nya-" Yamato stepped away as Taichi cat-pounced him. The Kittyband-wearer wrapped his arms around thin air as Yamato gave him a peculiar look.  
  
" I'm still faster than you on my feet, it seems."  
  
" Grah! I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!"  
  
Yamato picked up his feet and wandered off in a separate direction. Taichi grabbed him, causing them to bump into someone.  
  
" Hey, watch it!"  
  
" Sorry!" Taichi said quickly before running after Yamato again.  
  
They came upon a slight clearing where 2nd classmen gathered in groups. Taichi tackled Yamato to the tiled ground in laughter.  
  
" I caught ya!"  
  
" Eh-!" When Yamato was able to recompose himself, his head felt different. " You actually switched it..."  
  
" You think I wouldn't? I have to admit, I'm more suited for the Kittyband than this."  
  
Yamato frowned. He wasn't getting such pleasant thoughts with the angelic figure in front of him. " I'm not used to this."  
  
" Neither am I. You almost look like an elf," said Taichi as he proceeded to take the Angelband off. " Switch back!"  
  
Yamato wouldn't stop staring at Taichi even though the brunette didn't seem to notice. He had quite a heavy amount of restraint...  
  
After browsing through a long line of stores, the pair decided to pick a shady place near the China-seller for a shopping break. Conversation near the area was always lively...  
  
" Hey, hey, there was a mass MVP invasion in Payon earlier today. All of the toughest ones were there! I got so many things for upgrading..."  
  
" Wish I could've been there," a male Rogue with a Joker Jester hat said, " More things for my collection."  
  
" Hey, hey, but there's a huge party going on later tomorrow to hunt Baphomet. There's a whole new guild dedicated to party-hunting him. I want to join..."  
  
" You wouldn't stand a chance, Pico. You're still a measly Aco. And you want to be a Monk, to top it off. It's the Priests who get the MVPs, you know that." The Rogue chuckled behind his Goblin mask.  
  
" Hey, hey, you're not much better, Pie," said the Acolyte.  
  
" Hmph. You picking a fight?" the Rogue replied, switching his Goblin mask to a Mr. Scream face.  
  
" No! No dueling until I'm a trained Monk, cheapskate."  
  
Taichi smiled at the pleasant conversation, leaning against Yamato's shoulder as they sat silently. " I could do this all day..."  
  
" Me, too."  
  
But, alas, their peace was thwarted.  
  
" It's you again! Yamato!"  
  
Yamato turned lazy eyes to the female who greeted him.  
  
" Congrats on becoming a Knight and Priestess, you two."  
  
Sora and Mimi had successfully moved on to the 2nd classmen stage during the boys' short absence from Prontera. Mimi looked particularly stylish in her pink robes and Western Grace hat, while Sora settled with a Gemmed Sallet and red-tinted armor.  
  
" Yeah, after we gave you... the news, Mimi went to the church to change class, and then I went to Izlude for this. Since then, we've been hunting Goldie in Culverts. I finally got its card! Now I'm ready to take on a greater range of MVPs."  
  
Taichi joined in the conversation. " Goldie?"  
  
" Golden Thief Bug," Sora informed. " It's one of the easiest MVPs to defeat, but an MVP nonetheless. Its card is in high demand because it nullifies ANY magic attack."  
  
" Duu..." Taichi blinked, and Yamato watched him to make sure he didn't salivate too much. " Dang, I want one of those!"  
  
" Unless you plan to fight one-handedly, I'd forget it. Goldie card compounds to shields." Sora brought out a shining white shield. That shine... Taichi could tell it held great powers.  
  
" Not happy enough with a Doppel bow?" Yamato said teasingly.  
  
" Eh! Doppel?!?" Mimi shrieked. " Luckyyyy...!!!'  
  
Taichi frowned. " I'm really grateful, but more help doesn't hurt, right? There are so many things out there waiting to be used..."  
  
Sora burst out in laughs at Yamato's dumbfounded appearance. The two boys sitting in the shade had their own ways of interacting with each other, which the girls could obviously see.  
  
" You want to hunt Goldie with us? Mimi's getting the next one, but you guys can sell any other ones for a hefty price! How about it? It'll be easy to kill now that I have this shield."  
  
Taichi's eyes brightened, but Yamato cut in without hesitation.  
  
" We're on a break. We've had too many battles lately."  
  
" Aw, you're sure?" Sora said, pouting, " I'll do all the tanking."  
  
" Hey, Yama, it should be okay..." Taichi said innocently.  
  
Yamato shot him a firm look. " This is our BREAK. And you'd end up..." Yamato leaned in to get intimate with the brunette's ear, " -sealing it, remember?"  
  
" Ooh," Taichi vocalized. He blinked when Yamato didn't make much of an effort to move away.  
  
" If you guys don't want to hunt, we can just chat for a bit," Sora suggested.  
  
Taichi heard Yamato exhale differently than usual, an exhale he recognized as "troublesome." He could read the blonde to such detail... At that moment, Taichi could almost read his thoughts... ' She's inviting herself...'  
  
But Yamato was calm on the outside. " How did you find out about Taichi's mother?" he asked.  
  
" We were hunting Sohee in Payon Dungeon, and when we went to the village to go to Alberta, I saw it with my own eyes," Mimi said, " The Archer Guildmaster saw it as well. He was desperately asking everyone nearby if they knew Taichi Yagami. When I answered, he told us to find you... and... yeah. Sorry for bringing you such bad news."  
  
Yamato gazed at Taichi, knowing it was his to answer.  
  
" No, I should thank you," Taichi replied softly, " It helped me become a stronger person... I'm really thankful."  
  
" Speaking of strong, why aren't you guys Hunters or Bards or such yet?" Sora asked, " Especially with that Doppel bow, you would be outstanding even in the 2nd classmen realm."  
  
This time, Taichi observed Yamato, knowing how he might react. Controlling himself, holding himself back...  
  
" If I find it necessary... in the meantime, Taichi and I can accomplish anything we set out mind to... as Archers."  
  
" Oh. I see," Sora replied. She seemed to appear somewhat guilty for asking. Somewhat... " Um... so what have you guys been up to?"  
  
" Mm... killing MVPs. We just finished Moonli-" Yamato clamped a hand over Taichi's mouth. Taichi whined in protest.  
  
" Simple-minded," was all Yamato said to him. " We've just been going about our usual business, Sora."  
  
" Oh, don't hold the poor guy back!" said Sora, " I wanted to hear him. Something about... Moonlight? Did you guys meet her?"  
  
' A little more than met,' Yamato corrected irritably. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know, but he couldn't help but feel a little sickened by her innocence. " We're on our break now, so we're not really fighting anyone."  
  
" Oh." Sora thought for a moment then resorted to shuffling her feet.  
  
Yamato had successfully killed their conversation. And his hand was still over Taichi's mouth. Taichi appeared to be holding back his struggle.  
  
" Hey, Sora... that shop over there looks interesting," Mimi said in the awkward silence. " Can we go see?"  
  
" Taichi and I should find an inn before they all get booked," Yamato said as he pulled himself up to stand. " See you some other time."  
  
" Wait! We should have some way to stay in contact with each other." Sora stopped Mimi from pulling her arm, " You know... in case you wanna set up a party hunt or something."  
  
Yamato gave her a straight glance. " Sorry, I'm not interested. We really have to go."  
  
The females stood bewildered as Yamato herded his partner out of the china-seller's area.  
  
----  
  
" What was that all about, Yamato?" Taichi demanded as they entered their inn room. " You were really rude to them."  
  
" I know," Yamato said, his eyebrows wrinkled. He set their supplies down in a corner and took off the heavier parts of his outfit, setting it next to Taichi's.  
  
" Why? They didn't do anything to deserve such treatment."  
  
" Aside from the fact that she acted like she wanted to date us."  
  
" ...Eh? How could you...?"  
  
" Why else would she bother trying to 'stay in contact' with ordinary 1st classmen? ... Who happen to be males close to her age..."  
  
" Well, it's possible those were her intentions, but you were still rude. You weren't that rude with the blue-haired sisters."  
  
" But I know they're not interested. They're very different than most people. You could sense it too."  
  
" Still..."  
  
" I just did what I believe was best for all of us. If those were her intentions and I had accepted, it'd become harder down the line. The earlier it is solved, the less pain we'll have to go through. It's easier to move on."  
  
Taichi fell silent. Yamato sat down on their bed and started to knead his forehead.  
  
" I'm sorry for ruining your innocence like this," Yamato said in almost a whisper.  
  
" Yama..."  
  
" I'm such a jerk..."  
  
Taichi stood next to him, yet without contact, he could sense something. Yamato's past... years of trying to do favors for others to make them happy... years of being accused of causing misery, when in actuality, he was preventing it... years of being misunderstood and powerless to stop it...  
  
The brunette didn't even need empathy to know what Yamato wanted to scream. Being with Yamato made him want to do more, he understood that now.  
  
" You're not," Taichi said through barely-parted lips. He sat down on the bed and put a hand on Yamato's shoulder. " I just now realize even more... how much I admire you."  
  
Yamato made a small noise in response. He didn't expect such words...  
  
" You also carry a heavy burden," Taichi continued, " Because you're never recognized for having it."  
  
They caught each other's gaze as the words flowed naturally.  
  
" If you want to let it out... I'll listen. I want to keep understanding," Taichi said.  
  
Yamato was awestruck. He was unused to this, having someone he could trust with his deepest thoughts without fearing rejection.  
  
... He wanted to keep this feeling forever.  
  
As Taichi brought his other arm around Yamato's back and Yamato leaned in, the memories spilled...  
  
----  
  
-Eight years ago-  
  
Yamato watched the group of Novices playing with toy balls, tossing them carelessly around the village. The young blonde had grown up knowing the joy of play away from other humans. He hadn't questioned it, thinking it was just natural to play by oneself. His only company was his falcon, who could observe him while he played. When he saw the other children of his age playing together, he wanted to join them, to try new things...  
  
He approached--  
  
" Eeck! What is that? It's scary!!!"  
  
Yamato stood frozen from these words of fear. The children weren't happy anymore for some reason... why?  
  
" Hey you! Get away from us! We don't want your kind to play with us."  
  
Young beings, so innocent, so unaware...  
  
Unfortunately, some of them would remain unaware for long lengths... some forever. Most unfortunate. But... a butterfly flapping its wings can lead to a windstorm in the future. When one domino falls, the rest follow.  
  
Yamato discovered loneliness that day. At first, he was afraid of the intense feelings inside him, so he spent many hours in the day crying behind trees. He wanted to be away from other people, accompanied only by Hawkes. When he couldn't take it anymore, he decided to find something to do so he could forget the sad feelings. Hawkes never disappointed Yamato. He never spoke piercing words to Yamato. They trained together, ignoring everyone else...  
  
He sheltered himself with his birthright. And life continued.  
  
----  
  
He always found it difficult to trust someone. Was it his fault for being so? If people just accepted things in the first place, that domino wouldn't have to fall... but humans are faulty.  
  
" It's our tragedy. There is nothing we can do to stop it..."  
  
" But there are a LOT of things we can do to make it enjoyable beforehand," Taichi said, " There's no fair reason to not make it enjoyable."  
  
Yamato let the words sink in, then he smiled softly. " How did you find such words, Taichi?"  
  
" You made me realize," the brunette replied, " You're wonderful for that."  
  
They nuzzled in their hold for a moment before Yamato spoke again. " As long as there are those understand, there's a chance..."  
  
Yamato closed in to give Taichi a kiss, but Taichi spoke quickly. " Do you think Moonlight understood?"  
  
Lips nearly touching, Yamato took a deep, heavy breath. " There was a possibility... but a very small one. It was a shame... but she threatened lives. And she was given a chance... she didn't take it."  
  
" But there was still a possibility," Taichi replied, " I can't help but feel guilty for not reaching that small chance of success."  
  
" Taichi..." Suddenly, Yamato pushed Taichi down onto the bed, looming over the brunette. " I know this is horrible of me, but I need you to be a little selfish. This is our break. Treat it as one... for everyone's sake. You deserve it. This burden you carry shouldn't go unrewarded."  
  
Taichi observed Yamato, noticing the blonde's heavy respiration and longing gaze. He answered in return. " There you go again... too kind."  
  
Yamato blushed, but kept his expression. " I... I'm just..."  
  
Taichi pulled forward and grabbed the other for a passionate kiss. " You deserve more, too..."  
  
Yamato attempted to mumble something, but it came out as a moan. Eh... whichever works. He didn't care for that...  
  
----  
  
Sora - Knight  
Weapon: Double Hurricane Saber (Andre x2)  
Shield: Shield of Deaf (Golden Thief Bug)  
Head 1: Gemmed Sallet  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Ghost Full Plate (Ghostring)  
Shoes: Green Boots (Matyr)  
Accessory: Safety Ring x2  
  
Mimi - Priestess  
Weapon: Stunner  
Head 1: Western Grace  
Robe: Mocking Muffler (Whisper)  
Armor: Ghost Saint's Robe (Ghostring)  
Shoes: Soul-Enchanted Shoes (Sohee)  
Accessory 1: Clip Under a Cast (Phen)  
Accessory 2: Earring  
  
At the end of this fic, I'll reorganize all of the chapters and stuff most of this extraneous stuff into a separate chapter. XD I have some other things to say, anyway... please leave a review, they cheer me up beyond imagination when I'm feeling down and out. =D  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	14. Come, and Get it!

----  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 14: Come, and Get it!  
----  
  
Whoa! Fast update for me. -flails arms- Let's get the action wheel going.  
  
I may rename all of the previous chapters during the final revision or earlier. I don't know why this idea suddenly occured to me, but I'm going to name them after the RO music tracks. Anybody who thinks this idea should be flushed down the toilet or gangbanged... feel free to express yourself. ;  
  
Fair warning... Fear the power of Alternate Universe. XD  
  
Substitute for Love/Pinneh: I love and worship Takouji, too. Of course, desu. -huggles- -  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: Witch, lol. Thanks for the review. XD  
  
Sora Ishida: Power to original online aliases! Hope you enjoy the... beginning of the fun.  
  
Zoleth: !!! That was such an inspirational review. ---; Thank you so much! You're so sweet- -glomp- I'm going to go stalk your Takouji fanfic now... D  
  
FallingDeeper: Thanks! Hope you got to finish reading. ; I know it's hard for me to put down a long fic once I start reading it.  
  
KimuraSato: Kyee! KKM needs your fics, you know it! Spam me your Yuuri/Wolfram pwnage! Spam me, I say! D Thanks for the review!  
  
Dragi: Thank you, dearie   
  
Rave-n: Glad you like what's happening. I work to please as many as possible while staying true to myself. -;  
  
----  
  
-Different company brings different discoverings, thus catapaulting evolution...-  
  
----  
  
" Kouichi, could you stop going on about Zombies for a while? I think we've heard everything there is to know about them."  
  
Kouji slew his way through another mob of miniature Goblins. Some of the people in this area were so blindly tense... Kouji couldn't do anything but frown under his mask as he continued.  
  
Kouichi had attempted to send them to Geffen by warp, but when they ended up in Morroc, he realized he had replaced his warp locations. He had sweatdropped, mumbling about lousy three-location limits, then telling the two Assassins that the closest place he could send them was back in Prontera. They would have to walk from the center town to the north-west end of Midgard. It actually wasn't very far away... it was just tedious.  
  
" All the way from here to Geffen is common training ground for guys who think they're hot stuff... but they're not," Kouichi had added before they departed for Geffen.  
  
And now... Kouji could second that note. As they walked, he observed a PecoPeco Knight herding a mob of Goblins near a party of first classmen. The Knight let the PecoPeco remain still for a while, stalling to make sure the others had noticed his presence, before smacking them dead with a simple Bowling Bash.  
  
Kouji's eyes dulled at the sight. What a strange world... these were the people they were to protect? Moonlight was right in saying that humans...  
  
Takuya sent him a casual glance, which stopped his thoughts. ' No... no... that's not who I fight for. Only for Takuya. My trusted one... I wonder what would've happened if I hadn't ever run from him...'  
  
" Strange people here... you were definitely right about that, Kouichi," Takuya commented.  
  
" At least these Goblins aren't around the whole route to Geffen. They get annoying..." Suddenly, Kouichi's jaw dropped. " That Priestess over there has like... a dozen Goblins on her."  
  
They reverted their attention to Kouichi's direction. The Priestess seemed to be completely complacent as the dozen Goblins battered her with toy weapons against her Buckler Shield.  
  
" Whoa... how do you handle that?" Kouichi asked. As a Priest, he was interested in getting tips from the fellow classman.  
  
The blue-haired Priestess smiled with a Romantic Leaf in her mouth. " Balance a bit of agility, vitality and intelligence with a Thara Frog card on a Buckler, then these guys are no problem," she said, casting a Heal spell on herself. With the hand unoccupied by her Buckler, she brought out a Black book and began beating back.  
  
" But I'm bored of this," she said calmly as several Goblins fell under her book smacks. " You guys going to Geffen?"  
  
" Yeah, but how do you know..." Takuya took a closer look. " You look a lot like an Assassin I know... Tsunade..."  
  
" Hehe, I see you met one of my sisters. I'm Menchi," she slapped the sillies out of the last Goblin, then Healed herself with ease. " I'll warp you to Geffen if you promise me you'll seal Doppelganger before leaving the town."  
  
Takuya went ballistic. " That's too much for us right now! We're better off walking... Hey, wait, how do you know about me sealing MVPs?"  
  
Menchi suddenly flustered, " Oh... uh... I've worked with Taichi before. You know him, right?"  
  
" Yes..."  
  
" I'll help... and you should get them sealed as soon as you can..."  
  
" Why do YOU want the MVPs sealed? It means less MVP items for you," Kouji said.  
  
Menchi smirked. " Even though we sisters have had pretty good luck with finding MVP items, we don't have any personal use for them. This is for Midgard, is it not?"  
  
" Not my main reason, but I guess..." Kouji said truthfully.  
  
" Well, do it for Midgard, at least."  
  
" ..."  
  
" Besides, if no one can hunt Dop anymore, the demand for his stuff will go off the charts!" she added gleefully, " Uh... Mrs. Gates' note."  
  
" Riiight. Whatever you say. Let's just go. I'm tired of wasting time."  
  
" WARP PORTAL!"  
  
As soon as they arrived in Geffen, Menchi asked if she could browse the shops around the city. She left before really waiting for a reply, leaving the trio to stare at her retreating back.  
  
" I thought you said you had no personal use for things..." Takuya said distantly, " Well... we might as well look around, too."  
  
Geffen was, as usual, a very unoccupied town, mainly since the tower's presence warded most people from making permanent residence. The few groups that resided in the place were all there for business; Merchants sold battling supplies, Acolytes set up signs offering warps to other places for zeny, people offered to organize hunting parties...  
  
As Kouichi took a closer look at some of the Merchant shops, Takuya asked to swap weapons with Kouji. Kouji obliged, remembering that at once point he had been an Assassin using a Damascus and a Buckler... extremely unusual for one of his class. But he had his old weapons switched for the custom Katars Moonlight had created for him... there were probably none others like his.  
  
They were bulky weapons, however... much bulkier than the light counterpart Jurs. Takuya quickly handed them back after a feeble attempt at putting them on. " I'd have to have practice with those before I can use them properly... but maybe later when we have more time on our hands. For now... it's better if we stick with our specialties. "  
  
Kouichi soon came back with a few new bottles in tow. " I bought a few empty bottles and filled them with Holy Water. When we go fight Doppelganger, using these on your weapons should have some incredible effects on the guy. Now if only Menchi was ready..."  
  
They waited for a few minutes without conversation, but to no avail. The Romantic Leaf Priestess was no where in sight. Kouji finally sighed and suggested they wait back where they had warped-- some benches on the east side of the town.  
  
" Wow... it feels so different... not having such a gap between events," Takuya said.  
  
" We haven't had breaks since we left Morroc..."  
  
" Not having any urgent business," Kouji gazed off to the distance while Kouji and Takuya remained fixed on each other.  
  
Even now, they could sense more than one kind of gap...  
  
" Our parents left for Geffen one day," Takuya said out of the blue. Kouichi blinked curiously before turning his attention to the brunette. " That was several years ago... They only said that they had to... to retrieve something important to us."  
  
" Our parents have always been close friends," Kouji added, " One's problem became all of their problems."  
  
Kouichi allowed a grand pause before he confided. " I only have my mother... she works as a Blacksmith in this town to repair the destruction made by the monsters. Before the monsters, she only built homes... now all she can do is repair. It's tiring her, but she can't stop, she's not allowed to stop. And I'm not fit to help..."  
  
Any passerby could tell just by looking at the trio... such heavy pasts, such heavy present, all upon their shoulders...  
  
" My ancestors were involved in sealing the MVPs 1,000 years ago," Takuya said as he leaned into Kouji's hold, " I don't know what I should have faith in..."  
  
" Takuya..." Kouji leaned in closer to secure the brunette. " You're still here, at least."  
  
" You, too... Kouji... you're back..."  
  
Kouichi was carefully staring at the ground.  
  
" Kouichi... come over here."  
  
To Kouichi's slight surprise, Kouji wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and Takuya followed his example. They sat in welcomed silence, knowing everything they could say was already known. They had suffered a great deal together. For now, they were happy enough being in each other's presence.  
  
----  
  
Menchi described her sure-kill method against Doppelganger as they made their way up Geffen Tower. Kouichi would provide full support, casting Safety Wall on all members, giving them status boosts and Healing them when needed. Menchi would cast the ultimate Priest offense, Magnus Exorcismus, and provide any additional backup. Kouji and Takuya would simply slaughter Doppelganger to its death.  
  
" It takes the form of a regular male Swordsman, but he has a ghostly appearance... pay careful attention."  
  
There were various bundles of people in the high floor of the tower, each person loaded with rare items galore. The boys had never seen so many fierce classmen in one area... a Crusader casted a massive Grand Cross to destroy a mob of Nightmare, an Alchemist had an onslaught of Flora plants attacking a Bathory witch... They couldn't tell which was scarier, the humans or the monsters...  
  
A gaseous Nightmare galloped their way at top speed. It seemed to be heading straight towards Takuya...  
  
" Physical attacts won't work on it!" Kouichi shouted, sending a ray of light into the Nightmare. The horse reared at the light's impact, but not a moment later, it charged again. " No choice... stand still, Takuya! Safety Wall!" He waved his hand again.  
  
A beam of pink light surrounded the Assassin as he observed the Nightmare crash into it. He had a chance to attack... he pulled out two of his Elemental Damascus and slashed. The first Damascus scorched the beast; the second exploded with water pressure.  
  
" Elementals... nice," Menchi said, " Saves us a few Holy Waters. Dop might be close by with all of these Nightmare around."  
  
The Nightmare continued to slam against the Safety Wall, and Takuya had to grin a little sadistically at the fact that he could attack through the wall with ease. He really liked those Safety Walls... After taking down the nuisance of a purple house, Takuya felt something pull in his stomach. It was so sudden that he stepped back and stumbled.  
  
" Takuya?" Kouji asked lightly.  
  
" ...Dunno what that was about," he answered as he pulled himself back together, " Let's hurry up and get this guy so we can leave."  
  
" We have to do it before another group takes the MVP, too," Menchi added, " It's rare to see a group take care of Dop on their own... they usually take shifts."  
  
" Shifts?"  
  
In answer to Takuya's question, they heard a battle cry nearby. Dozens of people were stationed in a large open area, and in the center... an almost blinding display... A Knight was fighting Doppelganger directly with a Priestess constantly Healing him. On the side lines, a Wizard slowly casted Storm Gust and yet another casted Jupitel Thunder. Farther down the sidelines, various parties rested and watched the show, waiting for their turn or recovering from one.  
  
" Those Wizard spells are going to send Dop all over the place... including places where people don't want him," Menchi muttered, " It'll be over for them soon."  
  
She was right... After a few Wizard spells, Doppelganger chased most of the resting parties out of the vicinity with his light-speed sword slashes. Soon, even the Knight and Priestess seemed to be running out of options.  
  
" We'll take this from here," Menchi announced, making sure the remaining party heard her. They nodded and scrambled off, giving Doppelganger time to pause.  
  
Doppelganger started to Heal himself.  
  
" Urgh, don't do that," Menchi said. She pushed Kouji ahead, " You tank first... Switch with Takuya when you need to. We'll cover you."  
  
Kouji couldn't stop himself from going forward into Doppelganger's view... Doppelganger appeared like a simple Swordsman... wasn't too intimidating. Except... a strange aura was growing all around it... the aura formed into individual shapes... Nightmare...  
  
" I'll take care of the Nightmare mob. Kouichi, Safety Wall them!" Menchi commanded.  
  
Kouichi didn't need any more instruction. After Safety Walls, Kouichi bestowed Holy Water power to the Assassins' weapons and gave them power boosts. Menchi's Magnus Exorcismus easily chopped through the demonic Nightmare, along with dealing heavy damage to the ever-wincing Doppelganger.  
  
" Any last words?" Menchi said haughtily as she taunted the MVP with a Holy Light attack. To their surprise, Doppelganger stopped attacking and grinned.  
  
" Ooh, this is all so very interesting..." he said dauntingly," How often you humans connect to each other..."  
  
" Huh?" Takuya slashed him, " Don't talk nonsense."  
  
" Oh... but you, inheritor of the chosen ones to seal the MVPs," Doppelganger continued, ignoring the pain that came from the Assassin's blow, " To think that you would befriend children of the MVPs..."  
  
" ...What?" Suddenly, all of them stood still. Silence took over the dark tower. " ...Children of MVPs?"   
  
Doppelganger laughed. " You couldn't figure it out? Why Moonlight was able to possess Kouichi and Kouji, why they were chosen out of all people existing in this world?"  
  
" ... Our parents were MVPs? There's no possibility," Kouichi started.  
  
" No harm for me to tell you," Doppelganger reassured, " You two carry high essence of Moonlight's being. You're aware that she has many human-like qualities, yes?"  
  
Takuya nodded slowly, cautiously.  
  
" She returned to Midgard long before Ragnarok was at stake again, reborn as a human girl. Just thinking of the horror... a human... Nonetheless, she still had the blood of an MVP. She once lived among the humans...pathetic Moonlight... not even fifteen years ago... She fell in love with a human. Of course, the humans did not approve of her relationship. She gave birth to a set of male twins, but she was forced to part with them... and she was confined to Payon Dungeon, where the Nine Tail nurtured her back into MVP status..."  
  
" Twins..." Kouji uttered, " Do you mean..."  
  
" Of course, you blockheaded human. You and Kouichi are twins, separated at birth."  
  
" Oh my God..." Kouichi gaped, frozen.  
  
" Why separated? The MVPs weren't fond of Moonlight's connection to you humans, either. News passes on quickly between us. Some MVPs even wanted to invade Midgard on their own to rid of her children. Moonlight sent you to the care of true humans to hide your identities to both humans and MVPs. When the age and time was ripe, Moonlight plucked you two for her ultimate plan to initiate Ragnarok."  
  
" The MVPs are in an uproar now that she's sealed and her human children are still alive. Amazing... so ironic that they're fighting alongside with an MVP sealer. Then again... it shouldn't be surprising, seeing as you're all human."  
  
" You're lying!" Kouji shouted all of a sudden, " If... if Moonlight really was our mother, she would have acknowledged us like one... we were only her servants... she treated us as such..."  
  
" Fifteen years of confinement and brooding against humans does that," Doppelganger answered, " She probably hates humans the most of any of us. But even so, this explains why your memories are still intact. Deep down, she wanted you two to remember her, acknowledge her... something rather than pity or despise her. She wanted to be what the humans didn't allow her to be... your guardian."  
  
" I... I can't believe it..." said Kouichi.  
  
" There is nothing you can deny with proof. And all proof will lead you to the same place, anyway. Even your names... Kouichi meaning light one, and Kouji meaning light two. Light as in Moonlight... Moonlight had committed a taboo and our only option was to destroy you to rectify her mistake. I even slayed your "parents" thinking it would rid of you eventually. Kouji's and what I assumed to be the MVP sealer's parents, along with Kouichi's mother were here in this tower, arranging Kouichi's retrieval... somehow, they had discovered your true identities and they wanted you two to meet. Actually, at first I thought they were average humans, but once I heard them mention your names, I knew at once they had to be destroyed. Only Kouichi's mother escaped from me."  
  
Silence. A split-second later, Doppelganger frowned.  
  
" I suppose that was revenge, MVP sealer... magnificent... I've never seen such speed..."  
  
He tumbled over. Doppelganger was dead.  
  
Takuya rose, eyes flaring dangerously and weapons still poised.  
  
" Takuya, what just happened?" Kouji asked pensively, sending him a strained look.  
  
" He sealed Dop, that's what happened," Menchi said smoothly, " Dop left behind a sword... take it, Takuya."  
  
The brunette did as he was told, head still lowered and Assassin mask in place. " Warp us out of here, Menchi. I don't like the smell of this place."  
  
" It'll make a good sell," she commented idly as she opened a Warp Portal.  
  
----  
  
Takuya sold the sword for a hefty price and Menchi left before any of the boys got a chance to speak to her. Not like they knew what they wanted to say... expressing themselves was one of the many obstacles in front of them. They avoided each other's gaze... not in fear of each other, but in fear of jumping ahead into uncharted territory... What started as a simple training errand to Glast Heim had turned into something completely unforseen...  
  
" I didn't expect to get these answers so soon, if at all..." Kouichi started. " I don't know if I WANTED to know..."  
  
" It's too late for ignorance now," Kouji said solemnly.  
  
" That BASTARD Doppelganger," Takuya remarked fiercily, " I can't believe these guys would do something... so low..."  
  
" Low?" the twins said in sync.  
  
" The MVPs, and humans for that matter... playing with people's feelings, sensing no remorse for unjustified actions... I'll do whatever I can to stop it."  
  
Kouji looked at him pensively. He remembered Takuya with a similar tone as he had used the first time they were in Geffen when the brunette had declared to show he was stronger than the Knight Sefirot. Only, this time, it had much more meaning to all of them...  
  
" Call me selfish, but if sealing every MVP in existence will end the injustice done upon us, then nothing will stop me from doing so. I can't let them ruin us any more than they have already..."  
  
Yet, behind such encouraging words, Kouji could feel the brunette crumbling with each breath. He didn't want to lose his precious ones ever again... not his parents, not his unchanced past, not Takuya...  
  
He didn't care who was looking at them. He wrapped his arms around Takuya's shoulders and held on for his dear life. The brunette was shocked at first, having just made an outburst, but he had nothing against Kouji's comfort. As he returned the embrace, he remembered their struggles in Morroc when they realized that their parents would never come home... Even then, they had hugged like this...  
  
And it still felt wonderful, if not better.  
  
Kouichi stared off into the distance again. He knew he had to get used to this isolation... but this new revelation that Kouji was his twin brother... it made sense. He had always felt a strong connection between them, even back when they first met at Prontera...  
  
" So what next?" he found himself saying.  
  
Takuya slowly broke off, determination still with him. " These MVPs won't allow us to have our break. We'll start with the easiest ones and work our way up. I'm getting sick of them already."  
  
Kouji glanced at the Katars at his side. " No time to waste. We should get going as soon as we can."  
  
" I heard Golden Thief Bug is pretty easy... and it has a really useful card, too," Kouichi suggested, " It's back at Prontera, though... I don't want to overwrite my warp destinations since we might have to travel to Morroc and Payon again, but I won't be able to bring us back to Geffen."  
  
" I'm sure we can find someone with a warp to Geffen in town... or we could walk again. Whichever does it faster," Takuya concluded. " Prontera sounds good. We'll go tomorrow. It's getting dark."  
  
" You sure? Might lose your motivation overnight..."  
  
" I wouldn't, Kouji," Takuya replied, smirking confidently. " Not with you around to remind me."  
  
Kouji shook his head and closed his eyes as if to give his disapproval, but he smiled as he did so. Such a beautiful smile... " Let's find an inn."  
  
They were more than grateful to find a good accomadation in a middle-class inn by nightfall. They were given a king-sized bed that could easily fit three people. Katars, Damascus, scarves and other heavy materials instantly came off as they entered the room.  
  
" I'm pooped. I'm ready to go straight to sleep," Takuya said in one exhale, collapsing onto the sheets on the claimed side closest to the door and farthest from the window. Kouji tentatively took the center and Kouichi layed on the remaining side.  
  
" Takuya falls asleep so quickly... I'm envious," Kouji said after a few minutes in the dark room, illuminated by the moon.  
  
" Hard for you to sleep, too?" Kouichi said calmly.  
  
" Especially with so many things on my mind."  
  
" Yeah..."  
  
Kouichi heard something shifting. He turned to see Kouji staring at his face. The moon's light struck Kouji's eyes and skin so faintly that it gave him a mysterious glow. Kouichi knew why he was staring...  
  
" Hairstyle really DOES make a difference," the Assassin observed. " I can't see the similarities between our faces until I get used to seeing them up close."  
  
As a second surprise, Kouichi felt a hand on his cheek. Kouji traced the contours of the skin on his face, taking special notice of the jaw-line and hair-line. Kouichi winced for a split-moment at the light touches. For some reason, he remembered what he had done to Kouji when they first encountered in Payon Dungeon.  
  
" Kouichi, do you know why you kissed me in Payon Dungeon? I know you were in Moonlight's possession, but..."  
  
The Priest remained calm on the exterior, but he was cursing on the interior. Too many.... too many things blocking what he wanted to say... what he truly wanted to say... even more after the revelations today...  
  
" You know that's a difficult question for me, Kouji."  
  
Kouji continued to gaze at his face, making light touches on the forehead and cheek. He didn't say anything else.  
  
" Sorry, Kouji," he said, closing the subject, " We should sleep."  
  
" ... Yeah. Good night."  
  
" Night..." Kouichi turned his eyes to the ceiling and let his eyelids overlap them. He didn't know what to think anymore... All he knew was that Kouji was his twin brother, and although he had never had so much of a connection to others, he had never felt so lonely at the same time.  
  
----  
  
As soon as they re-entered Prontera, a bustle of gossip swept them. Classmen complained of the absence of certain MVPs from Midgard...  
  
" And they had just come back at the right time! I was about to get a Drake card..."  
  
" Peh, Drake? I went against Pharaoh for ages to gets its card... and yesterday, he was no more!"  
  
" I spent so long hunting Turtle General..."  
  
" Osiris is gone! How am I going to improve my skills now?"  
  
" What's going on? The MVPs show up all at once, and now they're slowly disappearing?"  
  
" Yeah, the only ones I know that are still around are Dark Lord and Baphomet, but you know how difficult they are... they're pretty much the hardest ones..."  
  
" Man, I should have joined the Baphomet-killing guild when I had the chance! They must be getting a lot of people asking to join..."  
  
" What am I going to do noW? Only piddly everyday monsters left..."  
  
" I want to know why this is happening! What's causing the MVPs to disappear?"  
  
" Beats me..."  
  
Kouichi and Kouji looked at each other knowingly.  
  
" Takuya, you're aware that there were four people who sealed the MVPs 1,000 years ago, right?" Kouji said discreetly. Takuya nodded.  
  
" Moonlight showed us who they were... you, Taichi, and two other males about the same age. They must have swept them over the past few days. The others were an Assassin and a Crusader."  
  
" Amazing... to take out so many MVPs..." an awed Takuya announced.  
  
" Most likely, they had strong parties and fast transpotation. These MVPs aren't all close to each other..."  
  
" Where would they find a strong party with such a pure intention to seal the MVPs? Everybody else seems to enjoy the MVPs presence because of the profit. I'd think they would all refuse their sealing..."  
  
A female Rogue accompanied by two Dancers approached them. " You guys know anything? Or looking for some info?"  
  
" No, we're just as lost as everyone else," Kouji lied quickly, turning away to walk to a less crowded area.  
  
They were glad that she didn't follow them.  
  
" This really changes everything," Takuya said, gripping his goggles. " Still don't see how all those MVPs could..."  
  
Kouichi also raised a hand to his scalp area. " I feel like I'm missing a very important detail. I just can't seem to remember..."  
  
" Well, what's most important is that there are only two MVPs left, and they're both extremely difficult," Kouji stated, " We need to find a way to defeat them."  
  
Takuya raised his hand. " Why don't we find the other people sealing the MVPs? It'd be a lot better if we all join forces. Plus, you know what they look like, so we have some kind of headstart."  
  
" No disagreements here," Kouichi immediately stated. " It's pretty much our only choice."  
  
" Can you describe them for me?" Takuya asked.  
  
" Um... the Assassin wears Fashion Glasses, and the Crusader wears a Jack a Dandy. Basically, they also have goggles like you do and similar hair color."  
  
" Everything else would be pretty fruitless. All right," Kouji finished. " Taichi still might be in Prontera."  
  
" Let's split up and ask around. Meet back here when the sun is directly above us," Takuya said in his leadership tone.  
  
They observed their current position... a woman nearby was selling flowers.  
  
" Noon, then," Kouichi confirmed. They divided the city among themselves and set out.  
  
----  
  
When noon arrived, the boys found that they had wasted three good hours wandering the city with no profit.  
  
" Great. Just great," Takuya said sarcastically. " If Taichi left Prontera, then this'll be a lot harder..."  
  
" You don't suppose he and Yamato might have heard the news and gone to get Baphomet and Dark Lord?" Kouichi wondered.  
  
" They're only Archers," Kouji said.  
  
" They sealed Moonlight." No more was needed for argument.  
  
" Ugh... if there was only some way to find out where they are..." Takuya said in frustration.  
  
" I see them..."  
  
" Not a good time to get funny, Kouji."  
  
" No, really! Down there, with that group of Hunters..."  
  
Indeed, he was seeing correctly. However, the spectacle didn't look as pleasant as it sounded. Yamato didn't have the happiest expression on his face...  
  
Takuya was about to wave his arms and greet them, when one of the Hunters drew his bow and pointed it at Taichi...  
  
----  
  
Plot-driven. Yeah.... -; Plot is unbelievably so much easier to write than shounen-ai/yaoi material. But the latter is so much sexier... XD; Need to balance! Or may I curiously ask your preference? -  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	15. Everlasting Wanderers

----  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 15: Everlasting Wanderers  
----  
  
Dragi: -hugs back- Thank you Dragi!!  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: I'm so glad you responded to that little note. -glomps- I don't feel ignored now...   
  
KimuraSato: 3- I love your Yuuri/Wolfram fics!!!  
  
Rave-n: ..?  
  
takuya: XD... uh, here's an update for your plzure.  
  
----  
  
-Disappointment comes from events. Disheartenment comes from observation of such events.-  
  
----  
  
Yamato wasn't completely sure why he had allowed their situation get this threatening. For the God of Strength's sake, they were on a break! He was having the time of his life until this very moment. Now, it could turn into the worst day of his life...  
  
He didn't think he would meet members of the Falconry Festival again so soon... and in crowded Prontera, to make things worse. The wrong move would create an unwanted, popular spectacle.... Careless words were exchanged, and Yamato, used to the lax speech of his break, had let the cat out of the bag that Taichi was involved in sealing the MVPs. He had forgotten to think about his words,,, and he hadn't heard news of the mass MVP sealing until the Hunters shouted the information. By then, he knew he had opened a Pandora's Box... Norse style.  
  
How was he supposed to know that all of the MVPs except Baphomet and Dark Lord had been sealed in the past few days? But that didn't matter at the moment.  
  
One of the hunters even had the nerve to raise his bow on Taichi...  
  
A tense silence hung over the Archers and Hunters. Even Yamato's falcon remained still, which was rare for the jittery bird.  
  
" You have no idea how much you'll affect the future if you harm Taichi," Yamato said in a dangerously calm voice. On his shoulder, Hawkes gave an equally dangerous glare.  
  
The Hunter huffed. " Try me." Without another warning, he shot an arrow at Taichi...  
  
It disappeared before it could land a scratch on the brunette. A shining green substance had covered Taichi.  
  
" Just in time," a voice cut in.  
  
Everyone turned to glance at the incomers. The Hunter who had drawn his bow on the brunette raised it again, preparing to shoot the intruder. He found not one intruder, but three...  
  
" Kouichi..." Yamato said in awe.  
  
" Keh, we're not letting you get away," one of the Hunters muttered, " Hey, everyone! We found the person who's been sealing the MVPs! GET HIM!!!"  
  
Taichi panicked. The last thing he wanted was for everyone to turn on him. Yamato was already ahead of him, tugging his wrist and pulling him towards Kouichi, Kouji and Takuya.  
  
" Warp us out of here, fast" Yamato spat, immediately returning to battle mode. He had messed up the situation enough...  
  
" I only have Morroc and Payon," Kouichi said hastily, voice cracking as he saw various people with malicious faces approach them slowly.  
  
" Morroc," Takuya said for Kouichi's ears only, " Hurry!"  
  
They moved as quickly as their feet would let them, not even pausing when one of the observers offered for them to explain themselves. While they were glad SOMEONE was willing to listen, tactics told them that they would be scrap before they could tell their truth. Escape was their only chance of survival.  
  
Once Kouichi stepped in his portal, the Prontera mobbers weren't able to follow. The portal closed in front of them, leaving them angry and spiteful. The beauty of warp portals...  
  
As they rushed out to the other side of the warp, they caught their breaths.  
  
" Goddamn it! These people are so ungrateful for the pain we've been through. I just wanna... AGH!" Takuya started punching the air furiously.  
  
" It's not their fault," Kouichi said sadly, " They haven't experienced what we have... They have no reason to believe in Ragnarok."  
  
" There must be others who believe, though!" Taichi said almost helplessly, " Others besides the MVP sealers..."  
  
" We have much reason to believe that," Kouji noted, " I don't think a couple people alone could have coasted through Midgard so quickly on their own. They had to have large groups of people helping."  
  
Yamato suddenly quirked an eyebrow. " Why are you guys back here, anyhow? I thought you were in Glast Heim. That place isn't exactly a weekend shopping spree..."  
  
" We got sidetracked...a Priestess offered to warp us to Geffen as long as we sealed Doppelganger... Hey wait, the Priestess," Takuya's train of thought gained steam. " She said she had worked with Taichi before. Menchi, was it?"  
  
Taichi made a very still face. " Yes. One of the many blue-haired sisters. They've always helped me in my journey. It has to be them helping the other MVP sealers... maybe if we find them..."  
  
" That's what we had in mind, which is why we came to look for you. Things are moving a lot faster than we planned," said Kouichi.  
  
" Almost too fast," Yamato commented distastefully. " We have to be careful about rushing things. Don't overlook things in the past... that could be dangerous."  
  
" What do we do now?" Kouichi asked.  
  
Yamato glanced at his surroundings for a while. He wasn't nearly as used to being in Morroc as he was in Prontera, or Payon, even... he needed to think fast, however.  
  
" We have to find the other MVP sealers," Takuya reminded them, " We definitely can't finish off the other MVPs by ourselves."  
  
" How do you know that? We haven't tried going against them yet," Taichi retorted.  
  
" I killed Moonlight once," Takuya said darkly, eyes showing no expression. " Even before I knew I was an MVP sealer. Even if I had known, it wouldn't have been any use. She didn't leave behind any items by the time I realized it. It wasn't until Menchi told me that I had to get an MVP item that I knew why I wasn't able to finish Moonlight for good."  
  
" What does that have to do with Baphomet and Dark Lord?"  
  
" We just have to be more careful, all right? Baphomet and Dark Lord are the most infamous MVPs out there. And I don't think the other MVP sealers have sealed them yet because they need us. There's no guarantee we'll get them on the first shot, and if that happens, they need all the support they can get for another chance."  
  
Taichi didn't argue with that.  
  
Yamato had something else on his mind, however. " The Hunters in Prontera... they know my name, and I know they'll do everything in their ring of influence to go after us. Everybody in Prontera must know by now already, and news between the cities spreads like wildfire. We won't be able to stay in city or towns or any place with a lot of people anymore."  
  
Everybody looked at the blonde in slight shock. They hadn't really thought about those consequences. They didn't WANT to think about them, but it was the reality...  
  
And Yamato was rooted in it.  
  
" Except faraway places, right? I mean... places like Turtle Dungeon and Comodo... they're new, and not many people go to them," Kouichi said hopefully.  
  
" Maybe..."  
  
" Kouichi and I know what the other MVP sealers look like," Kouji brought up, " It'll help in the search."  
  
" Hm? How?" Taichi asked curiously.  
  
" Moonlight went through your memories when she had captured you," Kouji explained, " Once she gathers a visual of the current successor of an MVP sealer, she can monitor their appearance with her mental powers any time onward."  
  
" ...Nice," was all Taichi could say in return.  
  
" Somehow, we can do that, too," Kouji continued. He stopped... ' This must be from being her child...' he realized. But he didn't want to make Taichi and Yamato's situation more ragged than it already was. " Probably leftover influence from Moonlight's possession."  
  
Kouichi gave him a funny look, but Kouji pretended to ignore it. " One's an Assassin and the other is a Crusader. Both male and same short, brown hair. You met them at the same place, Taichi."  
  
" Hmm... I wonder..." Taichi said slowly, deeply contemplating. He delved into his own memories. Maybe he could remember them for himself... " Any other hints you can give me?"  
  
" Oh..." Kouichi noted. " You met them in Prontera Church... I recognize it since I had to go there for my Acolyte job change."  
  
" The church... we had that big meeting in the church, remember, Yama? Do you remember the names? I can recognize their faces, but I only heard the names once, so..."  
  
" Yes, they're all generally well-known people in Midgard. If they were both brown-haired and the classes you say they are... they would have to be Takato, who was a Swordsman at the meeting, and the Assassin Daisuke, although his hair has a more red flare to it..."  
  
" Great! We have names!" Taichi said excitedly, " It shouldn't be too hard to find them."  
  
" Names don't really help us," Yamato countered, " We can't go around asking people for their whereabouts."  
  
" We should predict where the MVP sealers will go," Kouji said suddenly, " I think they're near Baphomet or Dark Lord's area waiting for us."  
  
" Baphomet and Dark Lord are in the same area.... they could be far away from it to avoid being discovered," Yamato argued, " We have little idea which one they would prefer... you said you could monitor them... don't you know where they are?"  
  
" Only their appearance... I can't see where they are at the present."  
  
" I think they would take the risk and wait for us," Taichi said, looking at everyone in the eye, " We put a lot of trust in the blue-haired sisters, as they have done for us. This is almost.. a test of true trust."  
  
" They would be in Glast Heim... I'm not sure if we're all ready for the MVPs." Yamato looked among the group, analyzing their situation. He saw the intense, firey stares from the others, and suddenly he felt slight isolated. Maybe he was thinking too much. He sighed. " This is a tough decision..."  
  
" I know what I want to do, but I can't ignore the truth," Taichi said willfully, " I don't want to get killed needlessly."  
  
" Me, too," Takuya agreed.  
  
They stood around in silence, trying to figure out the best course of action. Taichi walked over to the other Archer and rested his chin on Yamato's shoulder.  
  
" You and Kouichi seem to know the most about this world," he stated, " Your choices would be more reliable. You guys lead."  
  
" If you're sure," Yamato pressed his lips against Taichi's cheek before turning to Kouichi. " How do we start?"  
  
" Dark Lord is probably easier to take down since he's an Undead and the area he roams in has mostly Undeads. It's easy to damage them... It's Baphomet that scares me. I think we should get comfortable with fighting together before we meet the other MVP sealers."  
  
" I'm fine with that. I was planning to take Taichi to the Clock Tower in Alde Baran."  
  
Kouichi whistled. " That place is full of dangerous guys... but it's definitely a good place for all five of us. I heard it was an excellent place to practice with small party sizes. And the people who train there don't go out often. It's almost a world in itself. But... people who aren't ready for it rarely live to tell about it..." He paused, appearing nervous for a moment before smiling, " I'm sure we're more than ready. Let's find someone with a warp to Alde Baran."  
  
----  
  
Alde Baran looked very much like Geffen, except it had small bridges and docks for the water current that ran through the city. The Clock Tower was also in the center of the town, as Geffen Tower was in the center of Geffen. The center was also where the most people gathered...  
  
But none of the people jumped them at first sight, which was truly reassuring. None of them even looked twice. Perhaps they were all too preoccupied... it wasn't difficult to tell why. The tower itself held such an ominous aura, casting an ancient shadow on the cement foundation, declaring the height of the dangers inside.  
  
Despite the massive obstruction in the center, Alde Baran was a peaceful place. Outdoor umbrella tables decorated many of the watersides, where several 2nd classmen casually enjoyed glass drinks. In fact, most of the people in the area were 2nd classmen, except the occasional Merchant or warp-business Acolyte... and the two Archers...  
  
" I want to say this place is beautiful, but there really are more prettier places," Kouichi noted. The others silently agreed. " You guys know what's inside this place?"  
  
Yamato was the only one who nodded.  
  
" Um... care to explain?"  
  
" Well, there's one main area that's the most rewarding experience-wise... the clock room. I first heard about it a long time ago... If we can find it..."  
  
" I know where it is," Kouichi announced, " Mm... It's hard to explain, my party went there once and we hardly made it out, but we did find the room. It's really easy to remember once we find it."  
  
The entrance to the Clock Tower was rather empty, save for a lone Knight beating upon a Baphomet Jr. The gang swiftly moved past him and took the east path at a fork in the path. They turned again at the first curve into another portal.  
  
A crowd of Archer Skeletons were on the other side, but Kouichi easily rendered them helpless with his Pneuma spell. After the short speel, Taichi groaned.  
  
" Does this place always have this ticking sound?" he asked, referring to echoey clicking noises throughout the area.  
  
" Well, it IS a clock tower," Yamato answered. Taichi gave him an incredulous eyebrow.  
  
" We'll pass the Deviruchi room on the way," Kouichi commented, almost sounding like a tour guide.  
  
The Deviruchi room contained several spawn points for the small, devil-like creatures. 2nd classmen lined up at each of the points, waiting for their chance to get a rare item from a Deviruchi.  
  
" They want the Evilband," Kouichi said as they passed the room and through a large, open area in the center. " Like Yamato's Angelband, with devil wings instead."  
  
" That'd be cool to have," Taichi added, " I kind of knew about them, but somehow, I'm more attracted to the Angelband... There's something about it..." He stared at Yamato, who blushed faintly in response.  
  
" You're more of an angel than I am, Taichi. This is just... heritage."  
  
" That was sappy, Yama," Taichi laughed. " You should listen to yourself. You don't even notice it!"  
  
Yamato just blushed more until they reached another portal.  
  
" You guys prepared to pummel some clocks and stuff?"  
  
" Stuff?" Kouji mirrored back to his twin.  
  
" ...You'll see. Stay close together, guys. Running off will just lure unwanted monsters."  
  
Taichi swallowed before being the last to enter the portal. He had been to so many places in such short a time, it seemed awkward that this place made him feel like a newbie all over again... not that he would admit it. He just had to prove them otherwise.  
  
The area's color showed their true form in the next area. Various hallways and stairs decorated the giant room. But where there weren't any hallways or stairs... a dark, purple abyss...  
  
Catching up with the others, Taichi could see other parties in the distance on a faraway staircase. He glanced below in another room and spotted several monsters waiting for someone to come to them...  
  
" Alarm incoming!" Yamato shouted. Kouji and Takuya immediately went forward to take on the monster. " Taichi! Over here!"  
  
" Y-yes!"  
  
----  
  
It was no quick journey around the giant room. Even though the place wasn't crowded with monsters like most dungeons, the amount of activity in the area made it seem so. Larger parties tried to handle multiple monsters at once, while courageous soloists showed off their skills with the Alarm monsters.  
  
The giant circle-clocks weren't the only clock-themed monster in the vicinity, oh no, Tower Keepers stalked around, preprared to dismember any intruder in the area. Heavy gears and complicated metallic bearings woven around a large cape gave these floating monsters a vicious appearance.  
  
One of the Tower Keepers was tail-gating a female Wizard who was trying to keep her distance from it. The Tower Keeper swung its massive staff in her direction, and although it missed, the Wizard wailed in frustration.  
  
" Aah!" Stupid Lex Divina! Now I'm useless... Arbor... help!!"  
  
At this point, Taichi and the others had gotten close enough to see who was involved. Takuya frowned.  
  
" Didn't expect to see them here," the Assassins said in a low-tone. " Sefirot and his party..."  
  
The Blacksmith referred to as Arbor lumbered up to the Tower Keeper and swung his ax. The Tower Keeper flew back at the impact, but it took no more than a glancing blow. As it continued to approach them, Arbor continued to hack and slash it...  
  
The Knight on the PecoPeco behind Arbor spotted the newcomers. " You again... I never did catch your names."  
  
" What interest would YOU have in it?" Takuya growled, crossing his arms.  
  
" You defeated me in a fair match back in Payon, if you remember," Sefirot said rather calmly, " It made me realize that I have gravely underestimated other classmen. You have my deep respect now. I ask again... your names?"  
  
As if to prove his point, he lowered his head in a type of bow.  
  
The others looked at Takuya in confusion. Takuya explained his duel with Sefirot before confronting Moonlight, earning a compliment from Kouji and Kouichi.  
  
Takuya looked ahead to see Sefirot with his head still lowered. It was a rather awkward situation... here they were, standing around a room inhabited by dangerous monsters, and formalities were being presented... It didn't help that Sefirot had such a fierce appearance; a Fin Helm on his ears signified his extreme strength, and the lance spear at his side showed that he was no coward. Yet, he was giving in to the Assassin before him. The sight even awed his Wizard and Blacksmith cohorts as they finished off the Tower Keeper.  
  
Silence hovered over them for a moment, many thoughts flooding Takuya's mind. Should he comply? He could hear the ticking of giant clocks around him, pressuring him...  
  
" Takuya. My name is Takuya." It seemed so easy all of a sudden... " The other Assassin is Kouji, the Priest is Kouichi..." as he introduced the others, his posture lightened...  
  
After some conversation, Kouichi asked, " Are you guys okay here without a healer?"  
  
" Of course!" the Wizard Rana replied, " We're mainly here so Arbor here would get off his lazy butt."  
  
The Blacksmith lethargically jeered back. " You guys always make me do the hard stuff."  
  
" I know," Rana teased, giggling as she playfully swung her silvery-blue robes, " I can't go all out unless there's water around, anyway."  
  
" Hmph." the Blacksmith backed out to shuffle through his cart. It had a lovely panda face decorating it. Arbor pulled out some food and started eating, his expression showing nonchalance.  
  
" Food again... that's why you're not sexy like most Blacksmiths, Arbor. You eat too much."  
  
" Aah, the rest of our party finally made it back," Sefirot interupted. " I believe you may recognize them the most, Kouichi."  
  
They all turned towards the staircase Sefirot was pointing to, and sure enough, several people were waving...  
  
" Kouichi!" one of the Wizards yelled.  
  
Kouichi smiled as he had never done since the Archers and Assassins had met him...  
  
" Junpei! Tomoki! Izumi! Melissa! Shinya!" he called. " How have you been?"  
  
The two girls of the party squealed. " How do you like the new look?" Izumi said as she turned to display her features, " Melissa and I are Dancers! And Shinya became a Knight very recently. He doesn't have a PecoPeco yet, though."  
  
" Congratulations," Kouichi said politely, still smiling, " Wow, I didn't expect to meet you all so soon..."  
  
" We're been looking for you for ages!" Tomoki wailed, " We went to almost every town and dungeon in existence! Where have you been?"  
  
All of a sudden, apprehension loomed over Kouichi. He was about to tell them about Moonlight, but...  
  
" I... I found out that I have a twin brother. It was this Assassin Kouji all along! ...Can you believe it?"  
  
They hardly had time to gape when an abrupt crash averted their attention. Two Tower Keepers and an Alarm were moving towards them...  
  
" Fight now, talk later," Yamato finished for them before he set out, bow and falcon ready.  
  
----  
  
After an enduring day of training, Shinya offered everyone a night celebration at Comodo. The Acolyte that joined up with them after Takuya left was always available to warp them around. Somehow, Kouichi's happy reaction convinced Yamato and Taichi to agree. Takuya also agreed, to Kouji's concern, but he seemed to have several things on his mind in general...  
  
Comodo was always a festive place at night, filled with outdoor fires, glittering beaches and playful games. They reserved a large section for the lot of them.  
  
Izumi and Melissa occupied one of the huts, dancing to the loud music playing around the establishment. They attracted a mass of random people to join in on the dance. Kouichi, Junpei, Tomoki and Shinya cracked jokes and tried to get Sefirot to join them. The PecoPeco Knight just sat cross-armed on his steed and pretended not to be affected by their humor. Arbor raided a nearby foodbar while Rana joined some water lovers for a game of water volleyball.  
  
Much to everyone's curiosity, Takuya and Kouji completely disappeared from the scene as soon as they arrived. Yamato and Taichi wandered from activity to activity without doing much. They were both too embarrassed to dance, they weren't interested in food or water, and there weren't many item stores to browse. They were weaning towards wandering farther for a private place when Kouichi came up to them.  
  
" Sorry to interupt you like this... but is it okay if we discuss a few things? I would truly appreciate it..."  
  
They both nodded, sensing that something important was approaching.  
  
The three of them went to an unoccupied fireplace where the booming music from the hut was barely background music. Taichi and Yamato sat on one log surrounding the fireplace, and Kouichi sat on another perpendicular to them.  
  
" First off, I want to apologize--Kouji and I-- for all of the damage we have done to you under Moonlight's influe-"  
  
" That's nothing to be sorry about," Taichi cut, " You had no control over it! It's not your fault. No big deal, really."  
  
" Well, it's not just that," Kouichi stared at the fire in a slight daze. " Before we found you back in Prontera, Takuya, Kouji and I went to Geffen and sealed Doppelganger. But... Doppelganger told us many things..."  
  
Taichi and Yamato watched and listened carefully, waiting for the dark-haired Priest to continue.  
  
" ...Including the fact that Kouji and I are twins. We... our father was human, but... Moonlight is our mother."  
  
Taichi verbally gaped. Yamato tensed for a moment before waiting again.  
  
" Just thought... it would explain a few things..." Kouichi said quietly. The dark air of night seemed more noticeable to him all of a sudden. " I didn't want to hide it from you, but I don't think my party needs to know. I talked with them, though. They're all willing to help us seal the reamining MVPs with us."  
  
" You told them about us?" Taichi said nervously.  
  
" Sefirot was the one who brought up the news of the MVPs disappearing, so I tested them all... to see if they were trusting enough. They've always been trusting people, anyway... They don't have the heart to kill another human, much less one they respect, but they'll fight for justice."  
  
Taichi sighed a breath of relief, holding onto his knees. " Well, that's good. The more help, the better."  
  
" Yeah, I'm really glad they'll stick with us until the end," Kouichi said, drifting off. Something about his voice seemed... lonely...  
  
" What about you, Kouichi?" Yamato asked suddenly.  
  
Kouichi was caught off off-guard. " Wuh huh?"  
  
" Why do you want the MVPs sealed? Besides saving Midgard and the obvious."  
  
" Uh..." Kouichi glanced at them strangely for a moment, then continued to look dazed at the fire. " I'm not quite sure... I could say that I'm protecting my brother, but it seems unreal. I don't know him that well, after all... but, I still..."  
  
Yamato remained silent, realizing their similarity. Kouichi, too, had something he had unconsciously yearned for all his life. He wondered if Kouichi had become aware of such need...  
  
" You don't need to concern yourself with it," Kouichi said with a slight smile, " Thank you. I needed to get that off. I'm going to go back to Junpei and the others. See you later."  
  
Taichi and Yamato watched Kouichi meander back to the social group in the far distance.  
  
" That was quite the news," Taichi observed.  
  
" Fortunately, it doesn't change the fact that they're on our side," Yamato noted, " That's all that matters for now."  
  
" That's kind of cold of you..." Taichi said quietly.  
  
" Thought you would have expected it by now," Yamato said in a similar tone.  
  
" I DID expect it," Taichi murmurred sadly, " I'm just making sure you're aware of it."  
  
" Heh." Despite the light conversation, Yamato sensed something was off. He wasn't sure whether to go with it, though...  
  
" Don't change that part of you, Yama," Taichi said suddenly.  
  
" I won't even if you asked me to," he said as he leaned over to rest on Taichi's shoulder.  
  
" Hmm..."  
  
On Yamato's free side. Hawkes spread his wings and flew off to explore the tropical trees. He always seemed to have good timing, that falcon...  
  
The onslaught of kisses was inevitable. The overflowing blue and black atmosphere had finally gotten to them as they searched each other's lips hungrily. Yamato's upper half was slowly forced onto Taichi's lap as Taichi pattered kisses on the blonde beauty. Yamato felt himself lowered farther and farther...  
  
" Oi, Taichi... I don't want to get sand in my hair," he grumbled.  
  
" No, that wouldn't be good..." Taichi consented as he lifted Yamato back up, " Just... being with you is contentment itself."  
  
Yamato blushed as Taichi wrapped his arms around Yamato's body. He was still wondering if everything was real and not just some sick hoax. He yearned for confirmation as much as possible, and he never wanted to let go of the feeling of having it. Was that such a selfish wish? Seeking truth all of his life... if only he could experience it for eternity. But... there was a nagging feeling in his chest... " What's on your mind, Taichi?"  
  
" You knew, eh..." Taichi hung his head. " Moonlight again... If I had known earlier, there would have been more hope... that..."  
  
" It's in the past, Taichi..."  
  
" Do you think there's a way to bring her back? Even if she's sealed... she's still alive somewhere, right?"  
  
" She's alive outside Midgard... there are a few humans who have ventured out of Midgard and remained alive themselves, Taichi... There's no need for you to take that kind of a risk."  
  
Yamato gave him a somewhat frenzied look.  
  
" What... Yama, no need to get worried. I won't abandon you."  
  
Yes... he definitely desired confirmation. But... he still felt selfish, so he provided a pillow. " Perhaps there is a safe way to give her another chance, somewhere out there. We must concentrate on our current situation, however. Our own race is against us here."  
  
" You're right..."  
  
They remained in each other's hold at the campfire for several blissful minutes, thinking optimistically for a rare time. Yamato went through a few thoughts of the scenery before them just as Taichi spoke again.  
  
" Yamato... this may sound kind of strange, but will you promise never to stop being yourself?"  
  
" ...Yeah, as long as you promise never to lose your life on promise..."  
  
" ...Be there for me?" It was less of an open-ended plea than a confession of wishes... One that tore at Yamato's heart... in a good way. He never thought that it would happen, but there he was, experiencing it in the flesh. He wasn't rejected.  
  
He could sense Hawkes in a nearby tree gazing over them thoughtfully. He smiled.  
  
" Of course I will, Taichi. I wouldn't give you up for the world..."  
  
----  
  
Sefirot - Knight  
Weapon: Lance  
Head 1: Angel Helm  
Head 2: Single Glass  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Full Plate  
Shoes: Boots (Zombie)  
Accessory: Safety Ring x2  
  
Rana - Wizard  
Weapon: Wand of Occult  
Head 1: Poring Hat  
Head 2: Elven Ears (Too bad Fin Helm is only for Swordie class =)  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Robe of Casting  
Shoes: Boots (Matyr)  
Accessory: Earring x2 (Phen, Berzebub)  
  
Arbor - Blacksmith  
Weapon: Slaughter  
Head 1: Miner's Helmet  
Head 3: Pipe  
Robe: Mocking Manteau (Whisper)  
Armor: Chain Mail (Ghostring)  
Shoes: Boots (Matyr)  
Accessory: Ring x2  
  
I have orientation for University of Michigan next week! I'm kind of scared... I really don't feel old enough on the inside to be going to college... but after that, some vacationing outside the state... I'll still find whatever time I can to write, though. Heck, I might have MORE time to write outside the state with less access to the Internet to distract me. -blink- Please review!  
  
Splash  
gottaito.cjb.net 


	16. Backattack!

----  
Where Fate Turns  
Chapter 16: Backattack!!  
----  
  
I'm at University! It's craziness! I can't tell if I'm going to have more free time or less.  
  
Linnda: XD Apparently, it was whim inspiration that let me release chapter so quickly.. ToT I'm so glad you're still reading and reviewing, though! There are lots of people who just... disappear and leave me wondering what happened to them. .  
  
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: -smiles- Wee-!  
  
KimuraSato: Kawaii desu ne? Hope you do keep writing more  
  
Mimi-102: Your wishes were received -huggles-  
  
Dragi: XD I dunno what to say. Thanks!  
  
Hiril Moon: Holy dearness! Thank you so much for the many insightful reviews. That's the kind of enjoyment that gives me joy... if that makes sense, lol. And now summer's over... -cry- As for the others... you will have to read on to see. x3  
  
takuya: Glad you got to read the chapter, hope you can read this one too!  
  
black kitten: Ano.. XD; You ARE reading the fic, right?  
  
KawaiiKaren: You're not alone, I don't have personal against Sora in this fic. XD Rewrite love! Whisper cards... if you have a good Hunter or Wizard, it shouldn't be that hard to get with... a lot of effort depending on the server, lol. I've seen a lot of similarities with this fic and Ragnarok: the Animation... one thing being blue-haired females guiding the main characters. It's freaky. My idea first dammit! XD Hope your RP goes well? x3  
  
Rave-n: Aw, poor dead review. x.x What do you mean by "fast old guys," though? x3  
  
----  
  
-When all is left and done, the past is not all that remains...-  
  
----  
  
Takuya was in momentary bliss, although he naturally wished it was permanent. The first time he had been to Comodo, he had found a hidden hut-like structure. Some previous natives had long-abandoned the hut and it hadn't been occupied since. It reminded Takuya very much of Kouji's and his home back in Morroc. This hut was too small for a complete residence, as it only had room for a bench and some walking area, so Takuya knew it had a different use...  
  
Not that he was going to overindulge... but times were so rare for them, and the youth could only keep working to relieve their burden... the burden set by those from the past. Which made Takuya wonder... was there a way to end the suffering? Was there a way to keep Ragnarok from ever occuring, to keep the MVPs out of Midgard forever? The idea hadn't arrived at him until Kouji mentioned how comforted he was now that the Moonlight ordeal was over.  
  
But was it really over? There were too many questions of which he wanted answers. But he kept getting distracted before he could delve into it...  
  
" Mmm... Kouji..." the brunette mumbled as the other cooed at his neck. Kouji's sweet, hot breath easily kept his worried thoughts running... running so far, it didn't occur to the brunette that he could discuss it. Well, he could save it for later...  
  
A sensation-seeking tongue touched his sensitive areas, and the matter was thrown out of his mind. The darkness of the hut and Kouji's radiance was too much on his senses... it seemed as if the deep black was sucking him powerless while Kouji was his only salvation. Of course, salvation did not come without fee...  
  
" Kouji... the things you do to me..."  
  
" Hn... just doing what feels natural," the pony-tailed Assassin replied, moving his hands along Takuya's silky flesh, " Not my fault you like it so much."  
  
" So... tease..."  
  
Kouji paused, remembering fragments of the event before withdrawing from Moonlight's control. He remembered all of the tenacious things he had done to Takuya...  
  
" I'm sorry," he said, changing moods.  
  
" W... wha?" Takuya said sleepily.  
  
" Everything I've done to you under Moonlight's influence... I know it was because of her, yet... I let it happen. I ran from you that day..."  
  
Takuya watched him as if Kouji were a hurt Desert Wolf Puppy. " No, Kouji... I'm at fault as well. I didn't pay enough attention to you... I was too enrapt in things that weren't nearly as important as I made them. It wasn't until I was alone with you in Payon cave that I realized how large of a mistake I made." Takuya nuzzled against Kouji's chest as the other gripped him tightly. " I never want to value you over anything else so flippantly... You mean too much to me."  
  
Touched, Kouji gave the brunette the rarest of smiles. " You too, Takuya. I wouldn't be the same without you."  
  
" No... you'd be going around killing people with your solid charm. Definitely like you."  
  
Kouji gave him a blank stare that showed he wasn't impressed. He did, however, sigh. " Don't want to know what goes on in your head sometimes."  
  
" It'd be boring if you DID know. Makes life more entertaining if there's mystery, na?" Takuya relaxed for a moment before he spoke again. " Do you think we should head back? They might think we got lost."  
  
" They wouldn't underestimate us that much... stay for now." Kouji held Takuya tightly, settling back onto the bench. " Please..." No opportunity to disagree... as if Takuya wanted to. It was one last moment before they would all tumble into oblivion...  
  
----  
  
" I've never worked with Dancers before," Kouichi noted as they prepared plans the following morning.  
  
" We won't get in your way," Izumi reassured, " Although we might send the MVPs on the run, hehe."  
  
" That won't be useful if we want to FIND and HUNT them down," Kouji half-muttered.  
  
Izumi appeared to be offended, but Takuya excused him. " He's always like that... Best get used to it."  
  
" Let's move it," the pony-tailed Assassin ordered effortlessly, " The sooner, the better."  
  
" I'll call our party warper," Shinya said as he pulled out a small, electronic device. " Worm, are you there?"  
  
Not long after, an Acolyte in rusty-brown clothing arrived. " 2,000 zeny for Glast Heim! Gogo!"  
  
Glast Heim was a ghostly place at first impression. Stray monsters wandered the ancient city, haunting anyone who dared to tread by. It almost seemed like a Halloween scene, yet it lacked the cheeriness of humor that came with the holiday. Rather than spooky dark towers with pointy pillars, Glast Heim looked like a cursed ghost town... a place in which the life was sucked out by something dreadful. Pale blue and grey floor tiles and broken buildings layed over once-plentiful greenery. One could only suspect...  
  
" Now to find the others before we go in..." Takuya said as he scanned their surroundings.  
  
" Hide inside the party, you two..." Kouichi warned to Taichi and Yamato, " These people might be looking for us."  
  
" Pathetic that you need to hide," Sefirot said as Taichi moved behind his PecoPeco, " We should tear them down one at a time and see how they like it."  
  
" No... these are people we're fighting for, not against... this isn't their war," Taichi reasoned half-heartedly, looking down.  
  
" They're trying to make it their war, however," Sefirot commented, " It would only be just to put them in their place. Even if this isn't their war, there will be war among us eventually."  
  
Moonlight's words suddenly echoed in the brunette's mind. 'Is it because you don't want to hear it? You don't want to hear that your actions will lead to the death of all humans sooner or later?'  
  
" I know..."  
  
" Life is an ongoing war... there is never eternal peace," Sefirot continued sagely. He sighed. " But alas, you stand correctly. We must concentrate on the larger threat. Other issues... later."  
  
Yamato raised an arm to let Hawkes onto it. " Hawkes couldn't find anyone familiar, so I doubt they're out here in the open. They may be inside already."  
  
" Heh... troublesome. Maybe they didn't need our help at all and they're already sealing the remaining two MVPs," Kouji mumbled, adjusting his bandana.  
  
" I won't allow that! I want a piece of them before they go," Takuya growled, a dark flare in his gleaming eyes. " Those bastards..."  
  
" What are YOU so worked up about? Sure, they don't belong here, but that doesn't mean we should treat them with such hostility," Izumi said playfully, not realizing that she had hit an out-of-tune keyboard on the piano.  
  
Takuya remained still for a tense moment, his stance unpredictable. Kouji watched him worriedly, feeling a sickly recognizable aura coming from his lover... An aura that spilled crimson red into one's senses and sent one's insides shriveling... His killing aura...  
  
But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a straight expression. " Long story... let's just get over with this. I... I want to go home."  
  
Kouji froze. Home... he had not thought about that word in such a long time... What could they call home? Should they even be thinking about it at such an important period?  
  
" ...As do I," Shinya added all of a sudden, " Monster hunting has been fun and all, but it still doesn't compare to the days when I could hunt in the forest for a monster without fearing death at any moment."  
  
" I miss zapping Bibilan Dungeon Kukre for instant zeny profits," Junpei reminisced.  
  
" I miss being able to duel someone without them wanting something from me if I lost, fairly or unfairly," said Tomoki.  
  
" The equal days," said Taichi. He could still remember his daily ventures to Payon forest for Willow trunks. " It's our duty to maintain the balance in Midgard, each and every one of us. Not just the MVP sealers... We all have to do what we can to support this world."  
  
" That's right," a few of them replied.  
  
" I'm so glad you guys understand..."  
  
" Of course! It'd take a pretty ignorant idiot to not understand something so simple," Sefirot replied, smirking. " It comes naturally, after all."  
  
" Can we go in yet?" Kouji said dully.  
  
" Oh yeah, of course," one of them replied sheepishly.  
  
Still huddling among the others, they ventured into the building nearby. Kouichi ordered everyone to take the first opening at the right. Although worn-down, it was apparent that the entrance was once thriving with guests. Rows of benches covered the grand hall as the party shuffled by...  
  
" Heya, an Evil Druid! I've always wondered what they look like up close..." the Dancer Melissa noted. Across a staircase, they saw what appeared to be a mass of disheveled pirate clothing and wooden material. A black book hovered with it...  
  
" Is that pile of junk ALIVE? It's moving..." Izumi inched closer to her female companion.  
  
" It's slow and Undead, just like most of the monsters in the area where Dark Lord is. If you want, we can test it out..." Kouichi half-grinned at the prospects.  
  
" Hey, Kouichi, can you use Magnus Exorcismus?" Junpei asked.  
  
" Yes, but I've never actually used it yet. I don't know how effective it will be."  
  
" Try it on the Evil Druid. Thunderbolt!" the blue Wizard sent a bolt of lightning to zap the Evil Druid. The shock would certainly attract its attention...  
  
" Um, okay... I don't know how long it'll take," Kouichi said hesitantly. He stood his feet shoulder-width apart and reached out with one arm. " Lure it in my area while I'm casting, all right?"  
  
" I'll do it!" Shinya volunteered, joyfully accepting the challenge. Foot by foot, he brought the mass of junk over to Kouichi without letting it attack him. Another Knight finished counter-attacking a different Evil Druid and followed Shinya silently. The other Knight's actions were more nerve-wrecking than the monster itself...  
  
The magic circle beneath Kouichi's feet glowed consistenly as the Priest concentrated his holy powers.  
  
" One Evil Druid coming up!" Shinya shouted, stopping a few close feet from Kouichi.  
  
" Magnus Exorcismus!" An overwhelming, violent-tinted light erupted from the magic circle in a cross-shape, swallowing the Evil Druid in its intensity. It stood still in mid-air for a moment before collapsing into a pile of aged wood. The light from the Magnus Exorcismus continued glaring as the others opened their eyes to witness the scene.  
  
" DANG that's huge!" the stranger Knight wailed, " What the heck is that? You killed the Evil Druid so easily... GAWD!"  
  
" Just a Priest move, sir," Kouichi replied as the light slowly died down, " Killing Undeads is our offensive specialty, after all."  
  
" Oh... right, right. Maybe I should've been a Priest instead. That was downright kickass! I've never seen anyone kill a big monster so quickly."  
  
Kouichi sweatdropped. He didn't feel the need to inform the Knight of the powers he had inherited from Moonlight. " Well, just because you're a certain class doesn't mean you can kill faster than others. This was just an advantage of mine... and well... nevermind. We should get going, eheh."  
  
Kouichi scuttled ahead, the rest of the party quickly following. Unfortunately, the Knight trailed behind them, grinning innocently.  
  
" This guy could be out to get us," Kouji grumbled to Takuya and Kouichi.  
  
" He doesn't seem to know who we really are, but he's still trouble," Kouichi replied quietly, " We need to lose him somehow... for all of our sakes."  
  
" Huh? But he could help us..." Tomoki said at his side.  
  
" He doesn't have enough experience. He won't even last here very long... we should send him to safer place."  
  
" Didn't think Kouichi was the type to judge people's abilities," Tomoki stated.  
  
The plush-haired boy frowned. " We have a goal... the last thing we need is for an unintentional mistake to happen at the critical point. I suppose his efforts to get here should be respected, but we're not who he should be hanging with. We can do this nicely, though..."  
  
" Leave it to me, Kouichi!" Tomoki chirped.  
  
Before anyone could do anything in return, Tomoki turned around and called out, " Ice Wall!"  
  
Swiftly, he surrounded the poor Knight in Ice stalagmites.  
  
" Hey, what's the big idea?!?"  
  
" Frost Diver!"  
  
A streak of ice charged from Tomoki's wand to the Knight, enveloping him in the cold solid.  
  
" Now run for it!!! AHHH!!"  
  
The others followed him, sprinting all the way to the next portal. When they made it to the other side of the portal, Kouichi spoke up.  
  
" ...Guess that works."  
  
" He'll thaw out in a short while. But he shouldn't be able to find this place."  
  
The other simply sighed in relief.  
  
" At least we made it to the graveyard. Dark Lord should be lurking somewhere here. And hopefully the other MVP sealers..."  
  
" Guess which one I want to find first," Takuya said sarcastically.  
  
After sliding down a steep elevation, the group found the graveyard surprisingly less threatening than the entrance room. The auburn-tinted area had much more open space, which made monster-spotting less of a stress. In the distance, a group of Zombie prisoners wandered closer...  
  
" They're slow, but don't let them get too close. They make nasty damage if they get their hands on you," Kouichi warned.  
  
" No need to tell me that twice," Kouji said, preparing his Katars, " Why would anyone want to get close to something so unattractive? ...No offense."  
  
Kouji counted four Zombie Prisoners before heading out to lure a few. As he approached, an Acolyte came from the other side and cast a Heal spell on one of the monsters, causing it to wince from the Holy power. The Acolyte then turned on her heels and kept her distance from the Zombie, healing it again.  
  
" Heal bombing..." he observed casually, watching the Acolyte and Zombies at the same time. " You could do that too, right, Kouichi?"  
  
" Healing takes more work than you may believe," Kouichi said, " It's meant to support others rather than act as an offense. We have other techniques for such matters. It's catching up, Kouji!"  
  
" Huh?" Before he could properly respond, the Zombie Prisoner took a massive swipe at him. He tried to jump back, but the deadly grasp caught his bandaged side. Kouji winced in pain as the other ganged up in counter-attack.  
  
" Che... I've been hit there before... not good."  
  
" Gah! My Kouji! HOW DARE YOU!!" Takuya...  
  
" Way to tank, Kouji," Kouichi smirked, raising a hand to heal Kouji's wound.  
  
" Shut up."  
  
They wandered the area for another hour, tearing through Undead monsters along the way... they passed a few training parties, but no one they were looking for...  
  
" Ugh, I'm already tired of looking at these ugly zombies and skeletons. Isn't there something cooler we could fight?"  
  
" Izumi, do you even know why we're here?" Tomoki said in suspicion.  
  
" Yes... getting rid of big and mean MVPs, we are..." Izumi said with a pouting face, " I didn't think it would be this boring, though. How hard can it be to find him?"  
  
" Obviously, there has to be SOME challenge," Melissa reasoned, " Hey, I see something big behind that pillar... wait."  
  
They stopped at a gathering of tombstones and watched. They could see a hint of a large, black cap hovering in and out of appearance behind the pillar.  
  
" Could it be Dark Lo-"  
  
" Quiet, Junpei!" Tomoki hissed.  
  
" It's possible..." Kouichi said under his breath, stirring fear into their veins.  
  
Suddenly, the figure behind the pillar jerked. A massive skull face peered to the side, narrowly missing the party's location. " It probably is..." The creature moved again, and this time the others couldn't but back up in caution. A few of them started to run back, but Kouichi stopped them. " It's not Dark Lord! It's one of his minions... It got separated from Dark Lord, so it's powerless."  
  
" Eh?" Takuya said, pulling out his weapons, " Are you saying that this guy is a sitting duck without Dark Lord nearby?"  
  
" Unless Dark Lord comes back for it..."  
  
" Don't jinx it!" Izumi wailed sadly, " Let's beat this one up while we can!" From her waist, she pulled out a small contraption that quickly unraveled to reveal a whip.  
  
" I guess we could..." As Kouichi gave his word, the others catapaulted themselves onto the idle monster. It stood more than three times as tall as any of them, but that didn't hold them back. It was a giant punching bag more than anything else... They cheered as the monster collapsed into nothingness, their spirits lifted.  
  
" Hey... if this guy got separated from Dark Lord, maybe..."  
  
" Is something up, Kouichi?" Takuya asked as they continued their stroll-and-search.  
  
" No... just a farfetched idea."  
  
" Hm..." Takuya gave him a pat on the shoulder, startling him. " We may be taking things seriously, but it doesn't mean we're not open to suggestions. What's on your mind?"  
  
Kouichi made eye-contact with the brunette and did a double-take. ' This boy...' " Well, it doesn't matter now. Look over there."  
  
A rumbling in the distance made them turn their heads, regardless of Kouichi's words. It was the all-chaotic Lord of Vermillion attack that indicated a fierce battle was close.  
  
As the party moved closer, they could feel the ground shaking beneath them. Soon, the whole area was set ablaze by the vicious magic attack. The party had to take extreme caution to not take damage from the torrent of destruction.  
  
" Sheesh... that's definitely an MVP if it can cast Lord of Vermillion so consistently... but where is it?" Junpei shouted above the ruckus of the giant falling fire balls.  
  
" I can't see very well in this mess. Where are you, Junpei?!?" Tomoki called.  
  
" Right here!"  
  
" What?"  
  
" In front of you!"  
  
Tomoki ran into something and sweatdropped. " Oh!"  
  
" Gah, this is nuts. Can you see Dark Lord, anyone?"  
  
That seemed to be the cue for a towering, black being of power to make his appearance. He stood with his arms outstretched in spell-casting mode, emitting lightning sparks from his hands. Everything was too bright and foggy to see if anyone else was there, but Dark Lord stood above the rest. Next to him, one of his minions mimicked his actions, throwing magic spells at every sight possible.  
  
" This MVP is all about total destruction, isn't he..." Shinya observed.  
  
" Are you going to help tank or not?" said Sefirot, charging forward on his PecoPeco.  
  
" Hey, don't order me around!" Shinya pouted, crossing his arms. He saw flashes of people passing by him towards Dark Lord. He sighed, uncrossed his arms and joined them.  
  
Takuya simply glanced around with Kouji by his side, avoiding the fire of Dark Lord's attacks. They had been through several sandstorms, so they were accustomed to the reduced visibility. They saw Izumi and Melissa dancing to a spell that increased the party's fighting abilities, Kouichi spamming Sanctuary spells wherever he could to heal his comrades and throw Dark Lord out of balance, the Wizards using whatever spells they had, Arbor the Blacksmith casting a fighting support spell and then shuffling through his cart for something to eat, Taichi and Yamato shooting as usual... Their cooperation was quite amazing.  
  
" You okay, Takuya? You look like you want to back out..." Kouji said warmly.  
  
" No... you said it yourself, Kouji. We have a reason to do this... Let's go."  
  
With that said, he twirled one of his daggers, put his Assassin mask on and lunged ahead, letting Kouji follow. He didn't even need to look back to know the darker-haired boy was smiling.  
  
It felt like a slaughterfest... Dark Lord was one of few words. As Kouichi tired from casting too many Sanctuaries, another Sanctuary appeared although he had not done anything to create it. How did... he saw something green stick out from the fuzzy mess. He knew only one person related to the mess who would wear something so peculiar... " Menchi?"  
  
She grinned lazily, allowing her face to appear with the accompanying Romantic Leaf. " I have the Sancs covered. Let's see some ME!"  
  
" ME? Oh... Magnus Exorcismus..."  
  
As he concentrated his powers, he asked about the others.  
  
" Every single one of them is here. The sealers, the sisters... Even Sakura! Um... our Huntress. She's always so anti-social, so this is rare of her. And of course... the other two, Daisuke and Takato, with their respective partners."  
  
" That's great... I can't believe it."  
  
" Well, you better believe it!" Another blue-haired sister appeared in a Sage's apparel. " This guy will be down without much struggle. Just watch."  
  
Taichi and Yamato had joined the Huntress Sakura in ganging up arrows into Dark Lord's back. Their plan seemed to be running smoothly...  
  
" That can't be all there is to this guy..." Kouichi said softly as his Magnus Exorcismus tore through the menacing MVP, leaving Dark Lord in further shambles.  
  
Menchi didn't reply, although it was apparent she had heard him. Something about her expression seemed different... Tsunade stepped in, wallowing in the Sanctuary to heal the wounds from Dark Lord's might attacks. A Wizard of her kind accompanied her.  
  
" He won't last much longer according to my Sense skill. Let the MVP sealers do the rest of the work from here," the Wizard noted gently.  
  
" Takato's been Grand Crossing this thing from the start, let him get the MVP," one of the sisters odered.  
  
Takuya, who had not met the other MVP sealers, gazed around to see a small Crusader surrounded in white light next to Dark Lord. Another Crusader was by his side, shielding him from attacks with his dear life. A touching scene... It was interupted by an abrupt shock of pain in his skull.  
  
Another Assassin appeared from the cloud of ashes and fell to his knees, also in anguish. His goggles... he was undoubtedly the remaining MVP-sealer. Takuya looked to Kouji, who had just noticed him after tiffing with Dark Lord. He was calling to the brunette, but even though he was right in front of him, he sounded so far away... Takuya felt incapable of moving. And a sound was beginning to rise above the others...  
  
" Cursed humans who seek to seal the MVPs... I care not for you, so I shall not leave without what I seek."  
  
" What do you want from us? We don't owe you anything!" a voice in the distance shrilled. The Crusader, it appeared to be...  
  
" Memories. I shall consume your memories, for they shall last even beyond Ragnarok, whether I am physically existing or not. I feed upon memories for my own existence."  
  
" But... memories make us who we are!" the other Assassin reasoned.  
  
" I shall not give you freedom until I have memories to feed upon..."  
  
" I don't understand.. why..." Taichi's voice... However, there was no reply to such concern.  
  
Instead... " The next time light shines from the east side of this graveyard, I will sacrifice all in this place for their memories. If I do not find memories of the MVP-sealers, I shall continue to sacrifice any human until I find what I seek, innocent or evil. I give you this time so you can prepare these memories for me."  
  
" Blasted sore loser..." Daisuke the Assassin growled, muttering curse words. " You've been sealed! Be gone already!"  
  
Then, just as quickly as the pain had formed, it vanquished. All four MVP-sealers keeled onto the ground in sudden exhaustion. Their comrades ran to their side, checking their vitalities. Again, Daisuke spoke.  
  
" Che, these guys suck out every last drop of fun in this world," he said distastefully, " Let's hurry up and seal the last MVP, then we won't have to dea with this old man's revenge."  
  
Mrs. Gates had a fearful expression as she dusted the battle scars off her clothes. Takuya glanced at her only to see a quick smile plastered on her expression. " Let's find a shelter so that we can regroup first. Menchi?"  
  
Menchi's warp led them back to the outdoors of Glast Heim-- on the rooftops of previously-magnificient castles. Strangers walked unaware below them, going to and fro between the castles. Everybody settled down in their own groups without saying anything to each other, resulting in an awkward silence. Eventually, Takato's partner spoke.  
  
" What MVP item did you get?"  
  
" Huh?" Takato just blankly stared at his blue-haired friend before coming to attention. " Oh... his skull..."  
  
Suddenly, the sound of rubber clashing upon aged brick reverted their attention. " Sorry for the wait, I had to organize my cart," came Mrs. Gates' voice, " Let me explain... You don't have to worry about Dark Lord's threat. Takato sealed him, so he should no longer have access to Midgard. Isn't that right, Takato?"  
  
Takato blinked. " Uh... y-yeah."  
  
Mrs. Gates eyed the massive skull in Takato's grasp. " I can hold that for you so it won't drag you down, boy."  
  
" Okay." He gave the MVP item to Mrs. Gates, who carefully placed it in her cart.  
  
" We're taking a break... relax for about twelve hours... it'll be pitch black, there won't be others in the area by then."  
  
Darkness... Mrs. Gates didn't need to explain the reason behind her conclusion. Suddenly, she smiled. " Let's have a bonfire cookout!"  
  
From her cart, she pulled out a mass of wooden logs and unceremoniously dropped them in a open part of the rooftop. She proceeded to take a red bottle from her belt and dump the contents onto the log, which immediately set the wood ablaze.  
  
" Arbor, you're loaded with food, right? I haven't eaten since yesterday, let's chow!" one of the sisters suggested, poking the lazy Blacksmith.  
  
" A'ight... Don't eat all of it, okay? My cart is one of my weapons, too... it needs to stay loaded."  
  
While most of the hungry people went to raid Arbor's cart, Kouichi, Kouji and Takuya sat against the castle pillars. The two Assassins finally took their masks off, relieving themselves slightly. It felt as if they were becoming different people under those masks...  
  
" We're almost there... I never thought it would happen this quickly. Yet... I still feel it was overwhelming."  
  
Kouji watched Takuya hold his kneading forehead.  
  
" After this..." the brunette continued, " What do we do? Go home... to Morroc?"  
  
Kouji and Kouichi's initial reactions were to look at each other while Takuya continued to observe the rooftop bricks. Kouichi blushed and stammered, " My mother will probably need my help, and since I'm more capable, I should..."  
  
Takuya was about to cut in, but Kouji caught it first. " Once peace comes back to Midgard, your mother won't have to work so much. You don't need to be so worried about her..." he said, " ... She's not your real mother."  
  
Kouichi just looked at the duo nervously. Had he really said that...?  
  
" I've never seen her since I joined our current party. I wonder what she'll do when she finds out that I know..."  
  
" Does it matter?" Takuya asked quietly.  
  
" Well..." Kouichi paused. His "mother" whom he had known all his life... and Kouji, whom he had known for only a few months... yet Kouji would always be truly related, whereas his "mother" would never be related. How could he weigh such thoughts? His "mother" had raised him for so many years, surely he couldn't ignore such effort.  
  
" She's still my mother in my eyes." He looked upon the other two and solemnly remembered their story. " I'm grateful to have her."  
  
" We've lost almost all memory of our parents," Takuya said for Kouji and himself. He sounded neither glad nor saddened, but his comment still arose suspicion...  
  
The plush-haired Priest wondered if Kouji was still thinking about Moonlight... because Kouichi himself could not relieve the thought.  
  
Kouji suddenly shook his head, as if he realized that there were more important matters than his thoughts. Kouichi and Takuya both noticed, but said nothing of it. There were more important matters, yes... but they had half a day before they would do anything about it. Did Mrs. Gates arrange this on purpose? No... she couldn't possibly know what was plaguing these boys' minds...  
  
It wasn't the appropriate time to discuss the matter; they needed a distraction.  
  
Takuya found it. " Let's get some nourishment while it's available. The meat smells good..."  
  
They conversed mainly with the other sisters while they ate. There was one for just about every class...  
  
" WHAT?!?"  
  
The rash shout caught everyone's attention as they turned their heads to the source near the bonfire.  
  
" This guy here is an MVP-sealer?" the voice continued," He hasn't even bothered to change to a second class! I don't believe you!"  
  
" What's not to believe?" the person in demand asked.  
  
" I don't believe that you're an MVP-sealer, simple as that! It's impossible for a 1st classman to fight against MVPs evenly."  
  
" Heh! You're dead mistaken, kid."  
  
" HEY! Don't you dare call me a kid when..." he stopped, knowing not to cross a certain line. Instead, he puffed a sigh of air. " Then duel me. Give me all that you have and I'll see if you're worth it."  
  
" Who're you to judge me..."  
  
Kouichi, Kouji and Takuya had moved enough to see the one at the center of attention.  
  
The provoker, the Assassin Daisuke, raised a Katar. " It's going to happen whether you like it or not."  
  
On the sidelines, another Assassin with shoulder-length, indigo hair pleaded for Daisuke to cease. On the other end, a blonde Archer urged his companion to ignore the Assassin...  
  
Taichi said nothing in return to Yamato's words, nor did he respond to Daisuke. His eyes were fixed on the raised Katar... fixed even as Daisuke advanced at blazing speed. Fixed...  
  
----  
  
There's still lots of room for yaoi as the story proceeds. Plotphobics, please do not fear. XD;  
  
In addition, feedback concerning WFT's Gallery would be greatly appreciated! -plug-in, remove spaces-

gottaito. fateback. com/ fics/ RO.htm

Splash  
gottaito. cjb. net


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